Group18: Horse Stable: 2016

Week 10: 06/03/2016

Week 10 Activities

This week, the group met up on Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 to finish editing the final report and worked on finishing up the final presentation slides. There were a few tips that Professor Mitchell gave the team about presentations.

One tip that he gave the team was to set each section of the presentation into percentages. For our presentation, Professor Mitchell recommended that the introduction would be about 10-20%. The requirements of the project should be about 20% of the slides and the summary should be about 10% of the presentation. The biggest part of the presentation should be 50-60%, which is the solution and what the design of the horse stable is.

Another tip that Professor Mitchell gave the group was to time each slide for about 30 seconds. Since the total time for the presentation is 10 minutes, the presentation should be about 20 slides.

Week 9: 05/27/2016

Group Meeting: 05/27/2016

Today was a very short meeting. In the beginning, we had Doctor Mitchell go over our presentation. He quickly went over it and gave us some feed backs. We had to change the titles of certain slides to make it fit more into a professional setting when we are presenting. We were missing a few slides that Doctor Mitchell wanted which were the lighting aspect of the horse stable and the future works slide. The group as a whole did not have many questions because the semester is coming to an end. There were also other small details of the horse stable that Doctor Mitchell wanted us to included but we had a time constraint to our presentation. He suggested to combine slides and figure out which slide would be more briefly spoken compared to others so we can show the audience what we accomplished during this term. We completed most of the assignment that was given to us for the project so what is left is finishing the entire presentation and the final report.

Goal

Finalize final report and submit to Doctor Mitchell for revise
Finalize presentation

Horse Stable SketchUp

SketchUp of the Horse Stable

Figure 1: Overall View of Horse Stable

Figure 2: Front View of Horse Stable

Figure 3: Top View of Horse Stable Without Roof

Figure 4: View of Inside the Horse Stable

Figure 5: The Roof

Figure 6: Side View of the Horse Stable

Figure 7: Top View of the Horse Stable without Roof

Group Meeting: 05/23/2016

The group met with one another to discuss what needed to be worked on for the upcoming week as well as getting a start on the goals set to be completed by the next meeting with Professor Mitchell. The group started off with going over the comments and feedback provided by Professor Mitchell on the Final Report Draft. One of the biggest criticism on the paper was that there was a lack of structure and organization when it came to declaring specifically what the design constraints, criteria, and solutions were. The group spent a good amount of time discussing and organizing out the paper so that the Final Report Draft could be edited and completed by week 10. Another thing that the group worked on was finalizing everything such as the structures and parts of the horse stable. After this the presentation was discussed and worked on. The group will be attempting to finish it by the end of week 9 so that Professor Mitchell will be able to take a look at it and provide feedback on how to further improve upon it.

Week 8: 05/20/16

Week 8: 05/20/2016

This week was the week the group got back the final report with comments and feedback. The group examined the comments and feedback and discussed it with Professor Mitchell. The group is going to plan to have a meeting sometime next week to revise the final report. The group also spoke about little tweaks that should be added to the final project. One of the small changes to be made was the addition of plywood sheathing for the boards to hold everything together. Something else brought up during our meeting was our presentation. The group will start working on the presentation next week as well. Professor Mitchell recommended a presentation outline that the group could possibly follow and tips that could be used for the final project.

Goal

Create an appendix to reference from in final report
Finalize the final report
Create the presentation

Week 7: 05/13/2016

This week was the week in which the final report draft is due. The main agenda for this meeting was to discuss the report with Professor Mitchell. The group was having a problem with shortening the report. Professor Mitchell went over the reasons why there is a requirement length to a engineering design proposal. He also addressed the group's concerns on the difference between the result and discussion sections. The result should contain the analysis of the lighting, and area of the stable, whereas, the discussion should be more of an opinion in which the group could discuss about the adversities of this project and what could be improved in the future. In addition to that, Professor Mitchell went over the definition of eccentricity in buckling load, how far right from the center the force applied.

Goals:

Shorten and revised the proposal for the final report
Work on presentation slides

Case Study: An Average Horse

Horses come in various sizes. Horses are usually categorized into three different types: light riding horses, large riding horses and heavy horses.

Light Riding Horse:

Range of height from 56 to 64 inches

Range of weigh from 840 to 1210 lb

Large Horse:

Range of height from 62 to 68 inches.

Range of weigh from 1,100 to 1,320 lb

Heavy Horse:

Range of height from 64 to 72 inches.

Range of weigh from 1,540 to 2,200 lb

The Average Horse Dimensions:

Link:

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/07232816/page03.cfm

Case Study: Potential Wood For Horse Stable

Case study: Potential Wood For Horse Stable

There are multiple woods that could be used to build a sufficient horse stable. A few characteristics that these potential wood should have are: durability, high-bending strength, good nail holding power, moderate shrinkage, decay resistance, withstands splitting, good painting and weathering qualities, doesn't warp and is easy to work with.

Some of the top woods that are used to build horse stables are:

Southern Yellow Pine (Recommended)
Tongue and groove wood (stall lining)
Brazilian Hardwood
high-grade 90% Spruce J-Grade logs
Red Cedar
Bamboo (for tack room)

Links:

http://blog.classic-equine.com/2013/05/barn-building-101-the-word-on-wood/

http://www.tritonbarns.com/stall_wood_options.php

Case Study: Buckling Load

Buckling is critical in building a structure because it tells the stress load that the column could hold before it buckles, or bends. People often use Euler's formula to calculate the critical buckling load of the long columns with central loading.

E is the Young's modulus of the column material, or the elasticity of the column material. I is the area moment of inertia of the cross-section, and L is the length of the columns. The equation above is just a general equation. The calculation usually depending on the end conditions of the columns. Some of the common end conditions is in the figure 1.

Figure 1. End Conditions

Figure 2. Effective Lengths of the End Conditions

The table in figure 2 above shows an effective lengths of the column based on the end conditions in which L represents the actual length of the column.

http://www.amesweb.info/CompressionMemberDesign/CompressionMemberDesign.aspx

The link above is one of the sites that was built to calculate the buckling load of the columns.

Links:

http://www.efunda.com/formulae/solid_mechanics/columns/columns.cfm

http://www.amesweb.info/CompressionMemberDesign/CompressionMemberDesign.aspx

Week 6: 05/06/2016

This week, was the group's sixth meeting with Professor Mitchell. The Design Project is past the half way mark and so designs are being finalized. Therefore, during the meeting building orientation, the water cistern, heating of the building, and lighting were discussed.

Building Orientation: The way the building is oriented is important because it can determine how much light the solar panels will receive. For example, if building a pitch roof it is important that the building is oriented so that the sun will be able shine on both sides of the roof. However, if the roof will be a sawtooth roof it is important that the building is oriented so that the sun will be shining on the side with the solar panels.

Cistern: During the cistern discussion, calculations were gone over and a discussion on how much water should the cistern be able to hold was discussed. The calculations were based upon the area of the roof, how much water the horses need, and the average rainfall during a year. Due to the large size of the roof, if a cistern were to built based upon that there would be more than enough water captured yearly. Therefore it was decided that the cistern would be built to hold only a fraction of that amount and the overflow would be directed away from the building with the use of an overflow pipe.

Heating: There was a small discussion over whether or not heating would be necessary in the horse stable. The group was split over this and should reach a unanimous decision before the next group meeting. If heat is required then some ways it could be implemented would be through: a condensor, insulation, small electric heater, boiler, or solar panels. Insulation is extremely important because if the building is well insulated then the amount of heating would be minimized. The door is part of the building that requires special attention and needs extremely well insulation so that the cold air can be kept out.

Lighting: A skylight will be used but artificial lighting will also be required during the night. Solar panels will be placed on the roof to absorb energy throughout the day and will be utilized during the darker hours when necessary.

Group Meeting: 05/04/2016

Week 6: 05/04/2016

During this meeting, the group put together the sketches of the horse stable for the final sketch. The sketch contained the dimensions of the stable, such as the sizes of the stalls, doors, and the thickness of the walls. While making a rough sketch, the group came to a problem with the roof dimensions. The group did decide to have a sky light for the stable. However, the group did not go into depth about the roof. It was found that knowledge of Bernouli's principle is required in order to calculate the slope of the roof due to the pressure. The group will bring this problem up to Professor Mitchell during the team meeting on Friday. Besides the sketch, the group decided to include the cistern, and the compost into the horse stable design as a final deliverable. Below is a rough sketch of the horse stable.

Sketch 1

Sketch 2

The group decided to have both the 2D and 3D sketches of AutoCAD and SketchUp done by Wednesday night.

Case Study: Flooring for the Horse Stable

Case Study: Flooring of Horse Stable

Choosing the important flooring for a horse stable is extremely important. With the wrong type of flooring, it can hurt the horse. With different floors, there are different ways to maintenance it. Some owners might not want to always clean the floors and waste a large amount of money so these aspects need to be considered too. Other aspects that are considered when choosing a floor is if its non-odor retentive, provided traction, durable and lastly, affordable. Below is a chart that breaks down most of the materials used for floors.

X = Poor, + = Good, ? = highly dependent on other factors

Here are two floor types that are typically used with various to them:

Porous Floors

This type of floor usually helps water movement down into the ground. Some of the materials that usually makes up this floor are as followed:

Topsoil: Different types of soil will result in different drainage options. Also when used, it could create mud or puddles which will lead to uneven footing.
Clay: Traditionally a horse stable's favorite flooring.
Sand: Needs to be replaced frequently. Horses who feed off the ground might ingest it.
Road Base Mix: Depending on the location, the mix will be different. Usually 4-5 inches think over a 6-8 inch base of sand or small gravel.
Wood: Used less because its very expensive. Difficult to disinfect.
Grid Mats: Used to support another type of flooring.

Impervious Floors

A floor that has become rather popular due to low maintenance and durability. Some of the materials that usually makes up this floor are as followed:

Asphalt: A type of material which is alternative to concrete. A mixture of stone and sand held together with a tar compound. Uncomfortable for horses to walk on but after a period of time, it will feel more comfortable.
Solid Rubber Mats: Typically used over another flooring to support or aid it.

Different rooms and areas of the horse stable requires different materials. The aisleways should be somewhat similar to stalls. The feed room should have a type of floor which is low maintenance and rodent proof. Tack room are usually impervious floors such as concrete or asphalt. Wash area should be a non slippery impervious floor which helps with drainage or have a slope towards a drain.

Links:

http://extension.psu.edu/publications/ub036

http://horses.about.com/od/horsestablesandsheds/tp/Choosing-The-Right-Flooring-For-Your-Horse-Stable.htm

Case Study: Compressive Strength

Case Study: Compressive Strength and Bending Strength

Compressive strength is the maximum compressive load that the materials can withstand. Based on the compressive strength, one can calculate the size of the columns by taking the total forces coming down divided by the compressive strength. Different woods give different values of the compressive strength.

On the other hand, bending strength (also known as the Modulus of Rupture) is the measurement of the materials properties. It tells the stress in the materials before failure. The tables below listed the compressive strength and bending strength of the different types of woods.

Link: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Design/Nature_of_Wood/3_Wood_Strength/3_Wood_Strength.htm

Week 5: 4/29/2016

This week, we had our fifth meeting with Professor Mitchell on April 29th, 2016. The first thing that we discussed at this meeting was some architectural terms. This first term that Professor Mitchell was "height zone", which means the height of a building. The other term that Professor Mitchell defined was "pitch". Pitch is the slope of the roof. For example, architects might say 8/12, which means 8 in the vertical direction and 12 in the horizontal direction.

We also talked about the sketch of the horse stable. There is a sketch in a previous blog post that includes four stalls and a tack room. The most recent sketch includes four stalls, a tack room, and an empty room that could be a utility room, hay storage, or possibly a office room.

Sketch 2

One task that we started talking about and have to complete is find out the thickness of our walls and insulation. The thickness of the wood for the walls should be at least six inches thick with insulation. The thickness of the walls would depend on how much weight has to be held up. One inch in depth for wood is for every foot in length is to find the thickness. It is better to make the span from one pillar to another shorter so that the thickness of the pillars would have to hold less weight at the top.

Week 6 Goals：

Create a proposal with each person's task

Kimberly: Composting + cistern
Muykim: Structure of the building
Hanlan: Heating and flooring
Timmothy: Lighting and roof
Julie: Structure of the building

Work on final report draft
Continue working with sketches

Case Study: Fencing for Horse Stable

There are various fencing that a horse stable can be built from. Fencing are typically used to secure the horses from wondering off or to make the area of the owner's territory. They can be used for the most basic use of securing the horses or making the area that secures the horse to look attractive. The average height which all fences would be between 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. Fences with mesh should not open more than 3 inches squared. The most basic types of fences are wooden, wire, PVC, pipe and electric. Owners would also combine types to make a stronger and useful fence for their horses. Fences should be frequently examined because they are what keeps the horses in place. Here are the following type of fences:

Wooden Rail Horse Fences:

Very traditional but attractive type of fencing. The wooden rail is inexpensive when its being built but the maintenance can be very costly. The nails of this fence can be hazardous because horses like chewing on wood. Owner's usually put a strand of hot wire on the top rail to stop that.

Pipe Fence

A very popular horse fence in many parts of the country. It is attractive and highly visible but expensive. This type of fence lasts very long and is solid. This is great for owners because horses wouldn't run into it as much but if they do, it would not be a problem.

Vinyl or PVC Fence

These types of fences improves the looks and the value of the property. It is highly visible and attractive. It comes in numerous styles and colors. Maintaining these fences are extremely easy too. There
are also a few cons about it. They are very expensive and detaches very easily when hit by a horse. Owners would wrap a hot wire on the inside of the top rail to daunt the horses.

Wire Mesh or Woven Field Fences

Common used fences. They are relatively inexpensive and typically easy to repair. The only issue with this fence is the size of the gaps. Owners need to make sure the mesh size is small enough to keep the hooves out for every type of horse they own. Also, it is not as visible as other fences so including some color, flagging tape or a wood top rail would solve that problem.

Braided Wire Cable Horse Fence

A type of fence that needs to be tighten from time to time. The braided wire cable is durable, low maintenance and highly visible. This would be a typical nice fence but can be knocked down easily. Horse would rub on this and the outcome would not be good.

Rubber Fence

Not usually a recommended fence for horses. This type of fence will hurt the horses if they hit it because it is easily knocked down. This fence also stretches so it needs to be tightened from time to time.

Buck and Rail Fence

Recommended fencing for rocky mountainous areas. This is a attractive fence. This installation does not involve digging holes which is great for people who live in the mountains. They are very animal friendly because wild animals are not typically hurt from these fences.

Chain Link

A very expensive fence. Used for mostly strong and big horses. Owners would typically wrap hot wire on the top rail too because it can be stretched out by horses.

Links:

http://www.fivestarranch.com/articles/horse-fence.html

http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-news/2014/07/25-5-best-types-of-fencing-for-horse-farms.aspx

Case Study: Hay Storage

Square Bales

One of the main sources of consumption for horses is hay. The hay that they consume can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. There are some that are small bales that are about 2x2x4. There are bigger bales that are 3x3x8 and lastly are round bales that range from 500 through 1,800 pounds.

Round Bales

Hay can be stored outside or inside of a shed but is fully recommended to store indoors. Hay itself is extremely flammable so it should be kept away from any type of heat source or anything that causes fire like kerosene, gasoline, or oil. Another pro to storing hay indoors is that the sunlight does not bleach the hay. Once the hay is bleached, the hay itself loses nutrients. Also, when hay is stored away from the sun, bales can lose up to 7% of dry matter. When hay bales are not covered, bales of hay can lose up 35% of dry matter. Indoor hay is also kept away from an excess moisture that might affect the hay like rotting because when hay rots, horse are not able to eat it. Hay bales should be placed on top of something similar to wooden pallets to help the air ventilation throughout the hay to keep the freshness. If hay is stored outside, the hay should be covered with a tarp to keep it away from the sun and to keep the nutrients in the hay.

Indoor Storage

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/how-to-store-hay-to-make-it-last-2/
http://igrow.org/livestock/horse/hay-storage-recommendations/

Case Study: Bearing Capacity

Bearing capacity is the maximum stress that the loads could be applied to the soil. Bearing capacity is an important factor when determining the size of the columns of a structure. Without bearing capacity, the structure would have failed or sunk into the soil.

Bearing capacity can be tested through the following procedures for a rough calculation:

Dig out a hole that is the same depth as the depth of the structure.
Pick out a known mass and dimension of an object (a solid ball or a cube is suggested).
Drop the ball or the cube from a known height into a hole.
Calculate the average depth of impression (d) from the hole.

After this quick test, the resistance of soil can be calculated using the equation:

R = (w x h)/d

R is the ultimate resistance of soil, w is the weight (kg) of the object that is being dropped, h is the known height (cm) that the object is being dropped from, and d is the average depth of impression (cm) that the object has made on the surface of the hole.

After figuring out R, a safe bearing capacity can be calculated by the following equation:

Bearing Capacity (kg/cm²) = R/(A x F.O.S)

R is the resistance of soil that can be found using the equation above. A is the cross sectional area of the object that is being dropped (solid ball or cube). F.O.S is the factor of safety which can range from 2 to 3 depending on the structure and the site.

Link: http://civilblog.org/2015/02/23/how-to-calculate-safe-bearing-capacity-of-soil-on-site/

Case Study: Wind Loads

In order to prevent the horse stable from collapsing, loads are needed to be considered. There are three categories of loads, horizontal, vertical, and longitudinal loads. Wind loads are being looked at for this specific case study. Wind load is a type of horizontal load. It is caused by the movement of the air in which the wind pressure could have caused a damage to the building. Wind loads depend on the wind speed, the surface shape, and exposed area.

The wind pressure can be calculated through the following equation:

P = C_D X Q

P is the wind pressure (per square foot, psf) on the surface. C_D is the drag coefficient that could range from 0.6 to 2.4 (for most rectangular buildings, the value of C_D is 1.0). Q is the dynamic pressure of a moving air. Q can also be defined as (½ V²D), where V is the wind velocity and D is the air density.

In general, people use 20 to 30 pounds psf as a value of the dynamic pressure of a moving air (Q) for the wind loads. However, during the storm, the Q value can be as high as 60 pounds psf which is corresponding to the wind velocity of 150 mph or higher.

For the Pennsylvania region, if the height zone is less than 30 ft, the wind pressure would be 15 psf. If the height zone is between 30 to 49, the wind pressure would be 20 psf. If the height zone is between 50 and 99, the wind pressure would be 25 psf, and if the height zone is over 1200 ft, the wind pressure would be 40 psf.

In general, a suction of at least 10 psf should be considered. If the wind pressure is from 30 to 50 psf, a suction of one-half of that wind pressure should be considered.

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), for a building that is 300 ft height, the wind load should be 20 psf, and for every 100 ft increase in height, the wind load should be increase by 2.5 psf.

Source: Lin, T. Y., and Sidney D. Stotesbury. Structural Concepts and Systems for Architects and Engineers. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1988. Print.

Case Study: Ideal Temperatures for Horse Stables

Heating
Heating for a horse stable is a very critical part of keeping your horses healthy and also not keeping it a clean environment for the horses to live in. Heating is needed in places in where there will be cold winters and pretty warm summers. The ideal temperature for a horse stable to stay around is about 50 degrees fahrenheit. If there is a temperature that is close to 0 degrees fahrenheit it is ideal for a horse to use blanket instead of blasting the heat to keep them warm that way because fresh air is ideal for their breathing. There are only two ideal rooms that really need heating in a horse stable and those rooms are the tack room and the utility room and these two need heating because it is for the medicine and different grooming tools that need to stay at a constant temperature. Any rooms that are heating in a horse stable will need to be insulated and have vapor barrier on all sides to prevent damages from happening.

Condensation
There are a few things that need to be followed so you can avoid condensation inside your horse stable which can cause horrible things such as bacteria, fungal growth and more to form inside.

To prevent Condensation as much as possible

keep humidity low
providing lots of ventilation for the horses will provide the horse inside close as possible to the outside temperature.
having insulation so the outside temperature can be as close as possible to inside.

Humidity
The idea humidity for a horse would be around 50-75 percent having 60 be the ideal but it is also better to be drier than more wet in the place. A humidifier is also ideal for enclosed rooms and stall to remove as much moister in the air as possible.

Ventilation
Keeping a place ventilated well is needed for horses especially because they are used for athletic reasons, so having fresh air for them is needed. Having fresh air is also good because it can cause less bacterial problems inside of a horse stable.

Air Movement and Vents
Having good air flow through a horse stable play a big part because there is not much air movement inside of a horse stable. Having warm air in a horse stable is ideal so the vents can cause the warm air to go out a bring in cooler air for the horses.

Ideals for Vents
Vents are rated by "net free area" and there are requirements for things like these

allow 1 square feet vent for every 300 square feet of floor space.
60 percent of venting area should be lower intake vents and 40 percent should be high exhaust vents.

Link

http://equusmagazine.com/article/barn_heating_ventilation_032708

Case Study: Lighting for Horse Stable

In the world today there are two different types of light that can be used to provided lighting to a barn and these choice are sunlight and man-made light. The better choice out of these two lights is obviously sunlight but when it is dark outside you would need man-made light to power up the horse stable. Having sunlight rather than man-made light is also better for both the human and horses because of the vitamin D that it provides.

Natural Light (Sunlight)
Having natural light is very efficient because it is provided by the sun and the lighting is both good for you and the horse. Natural light has Vitamin D which is good for both the human and horses which is why if natural light is a preferred source of light inside a stable that would be better than artificial lighting. There are different ways that you can light a horse stable with sunlight but the best way to do that is get clear acrylic panels which are clear sheets and use them as part of the building material which provides the source of sunlight to come in to the horse stable. These clear acrylic panels will provide the horse stable with a skylight which the sunlight will be coming in through the roof of the horse stable.

The only major flaw to using sunlight that is when the temperature starts increasing it will get pretty warm in a place like a horse stable so there would have to be a way to keep the temperature at a constant that the horses are comfortable in.

Artificial Lighting (LED)
Even though the best light to use is natural light there will be day that natural light will not be provided which causes us to use artificial light. There are many different types of light bulbs for artificial lighting but the most commonly used ones are incandescent, halogen energy efficient compact fluorescent, fluorescent tubes, metal halide and mercury vapors. When using artificial lighting there must be a certain way to light the place because sometimes if the light is not in the right space of the horse stable there will be spots and places where you will not be able to see. So positioning is a really big part of when you are using artificial lighting.

How to Make it Cost Efficient
There are many cost efficient ways for people that own horse stable to save money with lighting. The first thing is always try to use as much natural light as you can because sunlight is pretty much free and doesn't cost you a penny. Next is if you are using artificial lighting you there are solar and wind power which are alternative source of electric power and will save you money than using purchasing energy from the city. Having these two steps should help your horse stable be more cost efficient with the lighting aspect.

Solar Panel Cost
Solar Panel's cost ranged about $160-400 and they produce about 200 Watts per solar panel.

Link:
http://stablemanagement.com/article/tips-to-provide-good-barn-lighting

Group Meeting: 04/25/2016

Week 5: 04/25/2016

Since during the week 4 the group was not able to do much progress on the freshman design project there will be two group meeting asides from the usual team meeting held during week 5. The group's first separate meeting was held on April 25th. During this meeting the group edited the original timeline due to a time crunch. The new timeline can be seen below. More deadlines and tasks were delegated to encourage progress so that towards the end of the project the group would not be rushing to get things accomplished and have a sloppy project.

Timeline of when things are to be done and completed

As stated by Professor Mitchell during Week 4's team meeting, the group should be utilizing the blog more as an essential resource. The reason for using the blog more often is to be more organized so all researched information and progressed are kept track of in a single space rather than with different members. There was a hard deadline of having all assigned case studies uploaded to the blog and labelled by Wednesday night.

Besides the case studies, the group members also drew up a rough sketch of what the potential horse stable could look like on AutoCAD. Each member was assigned to draw up another rough sketch by Thursday to improve the current design. A design of the other components of the design project is also encouraged but not required. The group will be completing this as well on Thursday.

Basic Layout

The group will be meeting once again on April 28th in order to double check if self-assigned assignments were completed. The group will also be working to become familiarized with SketchUp together during the second group meeting of the week. Other goals for the second meeting would be to create a meeting agenda for the team meeting with Professor Mitchell so that more members of the group will be able to participate more.

Case Study: Horse Stable Designs

There are many designs to a horse stable but here are some of the most popular ways to design or set up a horse stable.

Flooring: dirt instead concrete for proper drainage and easier manure collecting
Layout: center aisle, could be concrete or bricks to reduce dust levels

http://www.barntoolbox.com/floor-layout-tips.htm

Bedding (optional): Sawdust because of absorbency and inexpensiveness
Hay storage: kept somewhere dark and off the ground for air circulation to prevent rotting

Recommended stalls are 12 feet x 12 feet
Recommended stalls for larger horses are 14 feet x 14 feet
Recommended minimum height is 8 feet

http://extension.psu.edu/publications/ub033

Most popular door design are swinging doors for convenience with a top and bottom

Average doors: 4 feet to 5 feet wide, at least 7 feet tall

http://www.countrymanufacturing.com/dutchdoors.htm

Tack room walls should be 12 feet in height

http://www.fivestarranch.com/articles/barn-design.html
http://extension.psu.edu/publications/ub033
http://practicalhorsemanmag.com/article/build-barn-works-11369

Case Study: Shed Foundation

Shed is a simple roofed structure that can be used as a storage. Due to that, shed can be used to build a tack room for the horses in order to store bridles, saddles, saddle pads, and medical supplies. There are two type of shed foundations, on-grade and frost-proof foundations.

On-Grade Foundation
On-grade foundation is also known as floating foundation. It usually easy and quick to build because it sit right on the ground. It does not require to dig deep holes in the ground. It is also inexpensive to build one. That is why most sheds are built using on-grade foundation. on-grade foundation are usually build out of pressure-treated lumbers or solid-concrete blocks. It is best to not use standard wall block or hollow block because those block can crack under the weight pressure of the shed.

Solid-Concrete Blocks: The blocks are laid and spaced evenly in straight row. The number of blocks and spacing between each block are determined by the size of the shed. The block is 8 in. by 6 in. wide, and 2 in. or 4 in. deep. The thicker blocks need to be stacked first, and then follow by thinner blocks. If people want to raise the lower corner so it is evenly to the other corners, they can add more thinner blocks on top of it. One thing to be aware of is that if there is any chance that the rain can run off and drain under the shed, the blocks cannot be directly place onto the ground. First, people need to compact the soil, and lay about 2 to 3 in. of gravel on the compacted soil. Then, they can lay the blocks onto the gravel bed. These processes are to ensure that the soil won't wash away or become soggy, so the shed won't be affected on a rainy day.
Precast Pier Blocks: The shed foundation can also made out of precast pier blocks. The method for laying out the precast pier blocks is similar to the method of solid-concrete blocks above. The only difference is that the precast pier blocks have a square hole instead of just flat concrete.
Skid Foundations: Skid foundation is a type of on-grade foundation. It is easy to build in terms of both concept and application. The long and straight timbers are evenly spaced and placed in parallel. Then, the floor frame can be built on top off the timbers. The downside of this foundation is that it works best only on the sites that are flat and even.
Timber-Frame Foundation: This foundation is composed of a rectangular timbers (usually made from pressure-treated) sitting on the gravel bed. The shed wall will directly build onto the woods. This causes the shed to transfer its entire weight to the ground. The good thing of having this foundation is that people get to choose different type of flooring options, such as concrete, granite, marble chips, and many more.

Frost-Proof Foundation
Unlike on-grade foundation, frost-proof foundation is harder to build. However, it is stronger and can last longer than on-grade foundation. This foundation usually was built in the cold weather region where the weather can have an affect on the buildings

Which shed foundation is the best?
Determining the best type of foundation is usually based on the size, site, and the type of flooring of the shed.

Link:
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/firm-foundation-backyard-shed.aspx

Case Study: Horse Manure Compost

Horse manure is considered to be a inexpensive source of fertilizers for plants hence the reason why Bartram's Garden would like to use this soon to be abundant resource on their own gardens. In the short blurb below will be further information on horse manure.

What is in horse manure?
The fibers of grass and grain, minerals, shed cells, fats, water, and undigested grain and weed seeds can typically be found in the average horse's manure. Approximately 75% of the manure's weight is water.

How much manure is produced on a daily basis?
On average an 1,000 pound horse can produce up to 50 pound of manure daily.

How does one turn horse manure into compost?
The first step is to select a site for the compost. In the designated site proved to us by Bartram's Garden, the client holds a preference of keeping this compost pile out of site to make the area look more appealing. The second step is to construct a bin that is able to store at least 6 months of a single horse's manure. Therefore, the bins have to be at least 8'x8'x5'. There has to be multiple bins since there are two horses and for convenience as well. The third step of covering each bin with a tarp is crucial so that the nutrients in the pile don't wash out. The tarp also prevents the pile from getting to wet or dry. The fourth step is to make sure that the compost pile is getting aerated from the center out. This allows for the manure pile to compost evenly. A way to aerate the compost pile is by inserting PVC pipes into the pile and drilling a holes a few inches away from each pipe. Besides making sure the pile is aerated from the center, the compost pile should also be slightly damp (not soggy or dry). In order to know when the compost pile is done, the finished product should feel crumbly like dirt. This should take roughly six months.

Is there anything else to know about composting horse manure?
Although a horse can produce 50 pound of manure daily, the compost should only be left with about 25 pounds since as the manure turns into compost, almost 50% of its weight its loss due to the water evaporating. Bedding is also advised to be kept at a minimum so the pile is able to compost faster and it will be cheaper.

Case Study: Philadelphia's Weather

Weather is one of our constraints in designing this horse stable. We need to ensure that the horse stable can endure different kind of weather, such as snowing, raining etc. We also need to make sure that the temperature in the horse stable is the right temperature for horses to live in. Therefore, we look into the past records of the weather in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Weather from 1949 to 2016

Highest Temperature: 106 F°

Lowest Temperature: -11 F°

Snow Fall: 27.6 inch or 2.3 ft

Precipitation: 2.32 inch or 0.19 ft

Links:
http://weather-warehouse.com/WeatherHistory/PastWeatherData_PhiladelphiaIntlArpt_Philadelphia_PA_January.html
http://philadelphiaweather.blogspot.com/2012/07/phillys-most-extreme-temperature-days.html

Week 4: 04/22/2016

We had our fourth meeting with Professor Mitchell on April 22, 2016. We first discussed the progress we were having with contacting Bartram's Garden. There was a brief email response with some new information such as having the horse stable having four stables room. Some of the group members will be meeting with Justin, the person of contact from Bartram's Garden, later on in the afternoon (April 22nd) to discuss the further requirements for the project.

Today's meeting not much was discussed but rather we went over Google Earth and SketchUp.

We went on Google Earth to examine the area that was given to us to get a better idea of how we should sketch the design. Afterwards, Professor Mitchell gave us a brief demo on how to work Sketch Up. We were able to learn the basics of how to create shapes to form a horse stable.

In the discussion portion of the meeting, we talked about having to produce a draft of our final proposal by week 7. It is better to start on the draft sooner rather than later. Each individual member as discussed in the past meetings are to have their own individual engineering roles so that something of engineering value can be learned by the end of this project. The group has not been very efficient these past few weeks in terms of getting work accomplished and so it was requested that they break up the work more and get up to speed since the project will be due before week 10. It was also suggested that in order to get a head start on the draft and final proposal to get a template developed for all members to use in order to work on the paper and also have a consistent layout.

We are to have all case studies uploaded by the end of week 5. This does not mean that case studies are limited to what has been assigned. A design of the horse stable is also encouraged to have done by the next meeting.

Week 5 Goals

Have a completed sketch of design
Meet and discuss with "An Environmental Assessment of Bartram's Garden Expansion"
Begin Final Draft
Have case studies uploaded

Case Study: Cistern

According to Merriam-Webster, a cistern is "an artificial reservoir (as an underground tank) for storing liquids and especially water (as rain water)". The reason why a cistern is necessary for this horse stable is because there is no running water connected to the site. In order to get pipes installed to bring running water to site would currently be too expensive, therefore a cistern would be a more affordable option.

A cistern can be built above or below ground There are certain advantages to each. With an aboveground cistern, the weight from the water can be used to pressurize waterlines. On the other hand with an underground cistern, the water is less likely to freeze during the winter and during the summer the water stays cooler.

A cistern's components can be divided into the following parts: the water storage vessel, the water collection system, and the filter. Each component can be broken down further but there are key things to keep in mind when building or buying the cistern. For example, since this water is going to be used as drinking water for the horses using a material that could potentially pollute the water would be advised against.

With using a cistern, there raises some concerns such as keeping the cistern clean and preventing it from freezing during the winter. As mentioned earlier, by using an underground cistern it lessens the chance of having the water freezing. Cleaning the cistern is extremely crucial because it prevents bacteria and other pollutants from building up in the water. Cleaning a cistern is relatively simple and usually follow the steps of draining the cistern if it's an old cistern or getting rid of construction residue if it's a new cistern, bleaching the walls, and then washing the bleach out. It is recommended that in order to keep a bacteria from building up, to clean it at least once every five years unless there is an issue with the cistern.

Ideally, this cistern should be able hold more than enough water for the horses during the course of a few months. Horses are known to drink on average 5 - 10 gallons of water daily.

Case Study: The Concrete Cowboys of Philadelphia

Located in Southwest Philadelphia, The Concrete Cowboys of Philadelphia is a small group of teenagers whom ride horses around Southwest Philadelphia. The horses that these teenagers ride along belong to Malik Divers, a 55-year-old man who has a goal of "keeping the kids off the streets and out of trouble". The main purpose of this "program" is to provide a lesson of hard work and responsibility. Many of the teens that are involved with this program consider this to be a sort of therapy. By interacting with the horses the teenagers are taught empathy, compassion, and responsibility. Divers is also credited (by the teenagers) for helping them stay out of trouble.

According to Divers, "In southwest Philadelphia there's alot of senseless killing. . ." , by having this program he utilizes the horses to help the teens keep on the right path so they will be able to succeed and do well. He wants to be able to provide these teens the same opportunity he had growing up while allowing for them to care for these horses. In exchange for these opportunities, the teenagers offer $5 rides to the local residents.

Diver's stables currently house two horses however, there are current problems with keeping the horses on the current property in which the stables reside. In his current location, his landlord is demanding for more money and because of this he is in search of a new home to house the horses. Diver's was able to find a new location but there were other conflictions that occurred. The new location is owned by PRA (Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority) and is listed on the market for $500,000.00. However, Divers does not want to purchase the land but would like to set up a horse stable there. PRA is not allowing him to do so saying that there are certain processes that he would have to go through. This is Bartram's Garden comes into play.

Bartram's Garden would like to offer a part of their land in order to house Diver's horses. By providing a living space for these horses they are meeting their mission and vision.

This video shows part of the Concrete Cowboys story.

Links:

http://www.odditycentral.com/news/the-concrete-cowboys-of-philadelphia.html

http://www.pdnonline.com/features/Documenting-Philadelphia-s-Teenage-Urban-Cowboys-13796.shtml

Visit to Bartram's Garden 3

Week 4: 04/22/2016

On Friday, April 22nd, 2016 some of the group members went back to Bartram's Garden in order to talk to the person of contact. The reason behind this visit was to gain more information and insight on the project details. During this visit we learned that the site extended out further than we thought. The designated site extends further out past the overgrown foliage towards the back fence.

Updated! Outline of the designated site provided by Bartram's Garden

The horse stable is being built to house horses that belong to Malik Divers who refers to his group as The Concrete Cowboys of Philadelphia. We gained additional information as to what this horse stable should include.

The requirements are as follows:

Must be able to hold 3-4 horses

There are two horses that are currently being housed at a stable owned by Malik Divers. However, more than two horses have to be accounted for due to unpredicted future occurrences.

Large yard space for the horses to roam

The horses will spend more time outside than in the stable itself. The stable is just for housing the horses during inclement weather and during the night. The horses will be cleaned outside in the yard.

A tack room

This room will be used to store all horse equipments from saddles to bridles and medical supplies.

A hayloft

A hayloft will be necessary because even though the horses will be allowed to graze, it is necessary for them to consume hay on a daily basis in order to stay healthy.

A cistern

This is required because there is currently no pipes that lead to the site and it is currently out of Bartram's Garden budget to install a new set of pipes leading to the location. They are planning on installing on in the future however, just not when the horse stable is being built.
A concern with the cistern would be preventing the water from freezing during the winter time. (A case study is being conducted on this matter).

Turning manure into compost

It is required to turn the horse manure into compost however, this must be kept out of sight at all times.
The horse manure will be used around the garden.

Security

Since Bartram's Garden is a public location security is necessary so nothing will happen to the horses.

These are the requirements that were listed to us today. We were told that if any other requirement were necessary we would receive an email. For additional information on certain parts of this project please refer to our Case Studies!

Visit to Bartram's Garden 2

Week 3: 04/16/2016

On Saturday, April 16th, 2016 some of the group members headed out to Bartram's Garden in order to measure the dimensions of the site. The site was slightly curved in some areas so the dimensions were measured out to the best of the group member's ability. The image of the site is posted below. Dimensions will be added when soon.

A rough outline of the designated site on Bartram's Garden

Week 3: 04/15/2016

We met with Professor Mitchell on Friday, April 15, 2016 and he spoke about the different things that are needed in a horse stable. We are still trying to get in contact with Bartram's Garden because we still need information on before we start the planning of our project. Since we haven't received the information yet, Professor Mitchell gave us a scenario to think about. He gave us an estimated projection on what information we will be given and we are going to base our project on what he has given us so far. We were also given a book suggestion, Architectural Graphic Standards, on where to look up dimensions of horse stable structure. Also, Hanlan our Financial Advisor was not there due to class and time change.

Scenario

$20,000 budget
6 horses max (4 actually) (Standard Size)
Horses will be there from April 15 to October 31
Must Provide a Tack containing 2 saddles, 2 bridles, 1 tack box (1 curry comb and 1 hoof pick) per horse
Medication cabinet (3ft by1.5ft)
Sink used to shower and hydrate the horses
A Place for riders to hang riding clothes
A Larger box to work on horse if needed (10ft by 12ft)
Small Office for worker (8ft by 8ft)
Place to store hay (100 bales per refill (2 times))
Mostly use sunlight (Windows on roof for sunlight)(Will need some lighting)
Not much heating
Pipes need to be cleared and water need to be shut off during the winter

Week 4 goals

How does Engineering play a role on how we are making our horse stable?
Which site are we using at Bartram's Garden?
Look up more case studies (post case studies as a blog)

Group Meeting 04/11/2016

Week 2: 04/11/2016

The group had a brief meeting on April 11. We went over what each of us will be researching our case studies on. Tim is going to do a research on horse stables, and anything that is related to electricity. Julie is going to do research on horse stables and their structures. Hanlan is going to do research on how much it would cost to build a horse stable. Kimberly is going to do research on the compost component of the horse stable. Muykim is going to do research on the past weather in Philadelphia, and botanical garden. Besides that, we also discussed about the deliverables for this project. As a group, we decided to have a 2D drawing for the horse stable instead of having both the drawing and the prototype. This is because we don’t think we have enough time to create a prototype. We wanted our goal to be more tangible.

Week 2: 04/08/2016

We had a meeting with Professor Mitchell on Friday, April 8. During our meeting, we discussed about the value of time, meeting minutes, and case studies. Professor Mitchell wanted us to keep track of the time that we spend working on this project, and multiply by our establishment billing rate. We established our billing rate to be $50/hour. This is an average price for engineers who just graduated from colleges. By the end of this project, we should able to understand how we work, and the importance of our time. We also talked about the meeting minutes in which it lists the task of what the individual did last week and will going to do next week. Last but not least, we touched up on case studies that each of us should do a research on, such as botanical garden, and horse stable. This is to ensure that we would have more sources to reference, and everyone is using his or her time effectively by working at the same time.

Goals for week 3

Have a small group meeting to discuss our tasks
Schedule a time to meet with Justin to follow up questions

Visit to Bartram's Garden 1

Week 2: 04/06/2016

Wednesday, April 6th was our first day at Bartram's Garden as a group. We were unable to meet with our contact person however, a new meeting date is currently being set up so we can obtain the information that we need in order to help better improve the design of the horse stable.

During this visit we explored the grounds and made note of the site. We examined the site and noticed how unkept the field was and how parts of the ground felt softer than other parts. We were not able gain as much information as we had hoped to gather but we hope that by meeting with the contact person and by visiting the garden a few more times that more progress will be made.

An overview of the site

Week 1: 04/01/2016

We had our first group meeting with Professor Mitchell during Week One of Spring Term on April 1st. During this meeting we came up with questions, discussed criteria and constraints to better focus on the problem being solved by our design. We also came up with roles for each team member based on their major so that we are able to gain the optimal engineering experience from this learning experience.

Some of the questions we discussed:
- What type of terrain is the stable being built on?
- Is this going to be a year round stable or a seasonal stable?
- How many horses is this for?
- What is an acceptable temperature for the horses to live in (temperature range)?
- Will a tack room be necessary?
- What type of floor would be ideal so the horses' manure can be easily collected?

Goals for Week 2
For our next meeting we will have created a realistic schedule as to how the work will be done. Each member will have come in with a finalized role that should pertain to their major in some way or another. The group will also be heading to Bartram's Garden on Wednesday, April 6th to examine the site as well as get as many questions answered to help better improve the constraints and criteria of the design.