My time at Summer Consultants has provided me with essential industry knowledge and real world engineering insight that cannot be paralleled with my college classes. From the use of multiple virtual modeling applications for buildings, to site surveying, to ductwork design, this internship has introduced me to several applicable skills that I can continue to use within my profession as a mechanical engineer.
One major project that I was tasked with was helping with the process to renovate the USCG Laundry Room in Camp Lejeune. Within this project, I was tasked to create a model of the building in IESVE. This was my first time using the software, as well as the Bluebeam software used for floor plans and building measurements. This project allowed me to recreate the building from scratch, so I was able to learn about and run through all building parameters, including setting climate/location, assigning spaces and groups for rooms, and calculating U-values for the different surfaces on the building.
Another project that I was able to work on was the AC/Ventilation improvement of Hubbard Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy. For this project, I was able to travel with the Raleigh office to Annapolis, MD, in order to perform my first site survey. There were two main rooms the project was focused on, but the team showed me how to correctly observe a building and take all necessary measurements in order to be able to successfully model it and analyze it from the office. I was able to recreate this building in IESVE as well, though the floor layout was a little more complex than the previous project.
A third project that helped me understand the ductwork design process was the NIEHS Store Renovation. I was able to create my own ductwork design within the first floor plan given an allotted CFM and floor space to work with. By taking existing structures and ductwork of the building into account, I had to learn how to problem solve in order to maximize the efficiency of the system. This project helped me learn about ductwork notation on floor plan drawings, calculating static pressure drops throughout the ductwork, and factoring in fittings and duct sizing in order to correctly accommodate the space with a working ductwork design.
Ultimately, these past few months at Summer Consultants have taught me so much about the engineering process for major projects, from surveying, to building modeling, to duct sizing and layout, and much more. I was able to learn about several virtual modeling programs that help guide us through the renovation process, and I was able to apply what I’ve learned in class to real-world projects.
