Individually, algorithms are able to describe individual components of a work process in terms of energy expended or materials used. While this is a powerful tool, algorithms can be chained together in order to describe a series of linked steps or even a complete construction process. These chains are given here with a description and a link to each of algorithms to be used.
The use here of the term 'chain' recalls, intentionally, the chaîne opératoire (related but not necessarily identical to the concepts of 'operational chain', 'operational sequence' or 'behavioral chain') developed for lithic studies. There is a wealth of literature regarding this method, see, for example, Schiffer 1975a, Schiffer 1975b, Lemonnier 1986;, Bar-Yosef et al. 1992, Gamble 1998, Bleed 2001, Martinón-Torres 2002, Schlanger 2005, Bar-Yosef and Van Peer 2009. The combination of the chaîne opératoire (to describe the steps of a process) with algorithms (to calculate energy and material costs) and a 3D model (to determine the precise volumes within a structure) was first presented in Buccellati 2016.
The following chains are just some suggestions as to how algorithms can be used together; a specific webpage for each chain was intentionally not given, as the fundamental building block of EnCAB should remain the algorithm and not the chain. By linking to the algorithm (rather than creating a page of algorithms for each chain) the user sees other algorithms in the same category, and can thus explore other energy calculations as well as use parallel algorithms to determine the range of values when possible. As this is an Open Source project (hosted on GitHub), users can not only contribute algorithms but also propose new chains.
The following are chains of algorithms dealing with the production, transportation, storage and use of mudbricks.
Number of bricks made per day
(EnCAB alg. - Heimpel_2009_223)
Weight of bricks made
(EnCAB alg. - Buccellati_2016_108)
Transport cost (in energy)
(EnCAB alg. - Abrams_1994_47_3)
Foundation digging
(EnCAB alg. - Abrams_1994_47_1)
Mortar needed
(EnCAB alg. - Robson_1999_67)
Mortar transport
(EnCAB alg. - Abrams_1994_47_3)
***
mudbrick production
Back to Home