Hii!
In this blog i’m gonna share what we did in Science last week. In science class, we were challenged to act like civil engineers and design a tower that could survive a massive earthquake on our classroom shake table!
Our building had to meet these strict rules:
Be at least two stories tall.
Only use our limited supply of skewers, and connectors.
[Anything in [square brackets], follow the instructions and delete what is in the bracket. So delete this!]
[The Earthquake test]
Tags: Science, Elasticity, Plasticity
The Mission
In science class, we were challenged to act like civil engineers and design a tower that could survive a massive earthquake on our classroom shake table!
Our building had to meet these strict rules:
Be at least two stories tall.
Only use our limited supply of skewers, and connectors.
[INSERT drawing of your plan for the build]
[Did you follow this exact design or did you build something different? If you built a different structure, why did you choose to do this?]
We didn’t really follow our plan because we realized it’s not really easy to follow our drawing.
The Science Behind the Build: Elasticity vs. Plasticity
Before we started building, we had to learn how materials respond to forces so we could choose the right ones for our structure:
Elasticity is… [Explain what it means for a material to be “elastic” in your own words.]
Elastic is a temporary shape that changes when it reaches the limit.
In our building, we used wooden skewers which are [elastic because…[Explain why it is important to have elasticity in a building during an earthquake].
It is important to have elasticity in a building because elastic is very handy and it can hold shape a little long till it collapses.
Plasticity is… [Explain what it means for a material to be “plastic” in your own words.]
Plasticity is
Plasticity is a material easily shaped that changes the shape permanently.
In our building, we used 3D printed plastic joints which are [plastic] because…[Explain why it is important for the joints of the building to be plastic, instead of elastic during an earthquake].
It is important for the joints to be plastic because it is a shape that changes permanently.
Our Design & Strategy
When constructing our building, my group decided to use [triangles / squares] for our frame because… [Explain your choice of shape and why one is stronger than the other].
Here is how we put our tower together:
1. The Base: [Describe how you built a stable foundation].
2. The Joints: [Describe how you attached the joints].
3. The Height: [Describe how you made your tower tall enough, including any challenges you faced]
The Shake Table Test!
It was time for the ultimate test! We placed our tower onto the shake table and held our breath…
Magnitude 3 Test (Gentle Shaking): [What happened during the gentle shake? Did it survive
or collapse?]
Our work survived the gentle shaking and was very still.
Magnitude 5 Test (Medium Shaking): [What happened during the medium shake? Did it survive or collapse?]
Medium shaking and i can see it shaking a little bit, but still standing
Magnitude 7 Test (Violent Shaking): [What happened during the big shake? Did it survive or collapse?]
The big shake, and it is very shaky now but still looks very strong it survived.
[INSERT PHOTO/GIF/VIDEO: A photo or video clip of your tower on the shake table!]
Evaluation and Analysis
Our structure [survived / collapsed] during the shake table assessment.
Key Observations:
Strengths: The following design elements were particularly effective in maintaining stability: [Mention 1 or 2 parts of your design that held up great].
The top and bottom part of the design held up great.
Failure/Weak Point: Our structure experienced an [elastic / plastic] failure when [Explain what broke first OR an area that looked the most unstable —e.g., the joints shifted, structural supports buckled, the top story looked like it might come off soon]
The middle part almost gave up but ended up surviving.
Design Improvements: If given the opportunity to refine our design, I would… [Explain 2 specific changes to enhance the structural integrity].
I would change the shape to a more easy shape like a square
Join the Conversation
Have you personally experienced an earthquake in New Zealand? Share your insights or experiences in the comments below:
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