1

Structures & Geometry

The project to get you started thinking

geometrically!

Nancy Powell and Andrew Moore

Bloomington High School, Bloomington, IL

2

What have these structures have in common?

the Panama Canal Mt. Rushmore, the Sears Tower,

and the Great Wall of

ChinaAll are memorable human achievements in structure building!

3

Structure Project Goals

Learn & write about structures and the geometric qualities that make them strong

Look at types of materials and their geometric designs and strengths

Work as a TEAM to design and build a file folder structure

Measure its height Test the structure for its strength

Did you know? Winds blowing at

the top of a 100-story skyscraper

are four times more powerful tan those halfway down.

4

Sears Tower: upon its completion in 1974, it became the tallest building in the world, but these days it's 'no more' than America's tallest skyscraper, and #4 in the world. The 108 stories tower reaches 442m/1,450f, while the twin antennas atop the building bring its total height to 527m/1,729f.

5

Procedure: Complete the Internet

investigation and research. What effect does shape have

on the strength of a structure? How does nature influence

design? What is structural engineering? What is corrugation?

http://www.district87.org/staff/powelln/structures/default.html

6

Procedure:

Learn about tension and compression via experiments.

San Francisco, CA October 17, 1989

Kobe, Japan January 17, 1995

http://www.district87.org/staff/powelln/structures/tenscomp.htm

“Building a Tent”, The Art of Construction, Chapter 2 (p. 9 – 15)

Did you know? Lower buildings are made from

lightweight materials to minimize damage to the surrounding area if they collapse in an earthquake.

Taller buildings have flexible internal supports, allowing them to move with the force of an earthquake without breaking.

7

What do you think of this building?

This 6-story Nunotani Office Building in Tokyo is sturdier than it looks. Its sloping walls, ceilings, & floors are designed to withstand destruction by earthquake.

8

“How to fight Tornadoes & Earthquakes” – The Art of Construction, Chapter 9 (p. 65-74)

9

Procedure: Interview people

that will be helpful in understanding buildings, architecture, and/or structural engineering.

                                       

http://www.teachersnetwork.org/dcs/math/structures/journal.htm

Did you know? An architectarchitect is a person who designs

buildings. What are the three things that an architect

considers when designing a building? FunctionFunction – every building has a purpose AppearanceAppearance – the look should relate back

to its function, the choice of materials, & the climate

DurabilityDurability – building must survive the effects of weather and be easy to repair. 10

11

Procedure:

Your TEAM will Design and Build a file folder structure & test it for weight held and measure the height of your structure for points!

You can’t believe that file folders can be strong enough to hold weight such as a 25-pound weight?

Structural engineers have some ideas. Check out this movie! Engineer Ysrael Seinuk talks about Structural Engineering: http://www.thefutureschannel.com/dockets/algebra/structural_engineering/

(“A Steel Frame…Made Out of Paper”, The Art of Construction, Chapter 6 (p. 39 – 49)

12

13

Team/Resources

You will be put in teams of 4-5 students.

Materials 10 manilla file folders (provided) Elmer’s white glue Paper clips and rubber bands to hold

the structure together while it is drying (they MUST be removed before the structure is tested).

14

Technology Use the phone and/or the Internet email to

contact people that might be of help in your design.

Use the Internet for research & design ideas Use the Computer to write your paper or

create a web page. Use the Digital camera to document your

design and building process and final structure.

Insert your photos into your paper, web page, or video to illustrate the geometry you used.

15

Analysis of Your Design Design your structure

Architectural and geometric features

Strengths Your strengths relative to

geometric design Weaknesses

Your weaknesses relative to geometric design

16

Competitive – Yes! Competitors – Other Teams Strengths – Record is 990 pounds 990 pounds

(1553 lbs. for 25 file folders)

Heights – Record is 11.5 inches11.5 inches We’ll measure and test your structure

in the weight room on the due date! Grades will be assigned as indicated

on the evaluation sheet.

17

Schedule – Days 1 & 2

Complete research – work on this during the first two class days and continue working on it for homework.

18

Schedule – Days 3, 4, 5, & 6 These four days are to be used to

design and build your structure while working on your paper or web page as homework!

Use a weekend to allow structures to dry.

19

Schedule – Day 7

Test structures in the weight room!

20

Schedule – Day 8

Complete your papers, web pages and/or videos.

Evaluate your process and success!

21

Celebrate!