STUDIO 1 ACTIVITY Task: Build a tower as high as possible using a limited amount of timber blocks. The tower must have an opening to allow for a toy dog. Deconstruct the tower by taking blocks out to determine its strength.
In order to gain a greater insight into the task required and to ensure adequate space for the toy dog, we recorded its measurements as having 15.5cm in height and 7cm in width.
Changing the arrangement of blocks in a consistent pattern allowed us to take advantage of the timber’s strength in compression.
We considered the positioning of the opening and thought about ways that we could incorporate it into the middle of the structure. We also considered where the blocks would be taken from during the deconstruction process, yet we still did not have a specific design plan. Taking our initial considerations, we decided to create a building within a building with a very strong base.
As we started to build our structure (with a heavy base) , we came to realized that it lacked efficiency in material so we proceeded construct the tower using previously thought to be “barrier” blocks from the base that we later deemed unnecessary.
We carefully selected nonload carrying blocks to remove whilst creating the entrance for the dog. As we continued to build up, we reduced the space between the inner and exterior elements of the structure until at last they joined. (This joining point was about 1/3 of the height of the final tower). After the join we continuously built up using an interlocking brick pattern.
Although we removed the barrier, we still had a very strong base, from which we were able to extract blocks from to create a hollow cave for the toy dog within the structure. As we had a limited amount of blocks, we used the extracted blocks and continued to add them to the top.
Our sturdy core was able to withstand the collapse of the exterior.
Studio 1 Key areas of consideration when selecting materials include strength, stiffness, shape, material behaviors, cost and sustainability.
Forces can change the volume and shape of an object. -‐Tension forces stretch and elongate the material -‐Compression forces compact and shorten the material
MATERIALS THAT ARE STRONG IN COMPRESSION -Hay (bail)
-Masonry/ Brickwork
-Stone
-Ice Blocks
Load Diagram -Load takes most direct route towards the ground
-Termite Mound
-Represent load as arrows that have direction and scale -There are different types of loads e.g. Static and Dynamic
-Timber
Note
- This list is not exhaustive; many other materials are strong in compression. E.g. concrete - These materials are often self-supporting especially when overlapped -Compression is a characteristic of mass construction.
The normal reaction force is equal and opposite. (Newton’s 3rd Law)
Learning Loop The combination of pre-learning and hands-on learning allowed us to put theory into practice, this reflected upon the initial e-learning modules in which Clare Newton introduced us to the key idea: how to design ideas that get translated into the built form. Pre-learning: Reading Modules: CHING: 01 Site Analysis, CHING: 02 The Building (2.08 - 2.11). The e-learning provided an introduction to construction, materials, load path diagrams and basic structural forces. There was also a video exploring ways of ‘reading the city’ using Melbourne’s bluestone history as an example. Studio theory further covered the topics we explored in our readings. Hands on learning in studio class involved creating a structure made of timber blocks, where we needed to consider the characteristics of compression and load paths within the design. This activity demonstrated the importance of material placement and subsequent load distribution that affects the stability of a structure. Checklist -Forces and how to draw them -Load path diagrams and Point Loads -Different types of loads: Static and Dynamic -Mass construction -Compression and materials strong in compression -The importance of layout structure whilst building to take advantage of material properties
Walking around the Melbourne University campus, I have been observing different structures and have been trying to work out what parts of the structures are in compression or tension. Utilising week ones learning, I can now see that the bricks in an archway are working in compression
GLOSSARY Load Path The path that force travels due to the load through a structure or material. This path takes the most direct route towards the ground. Compression When the material particles of a structural member are compacted due to push forces of an external load. Reaction Force Newton’s Third Law, A subsequent force that is equal and opposite in direction to the action force. Masonry “…refers to building with units of various natural or manufactured products, such as brick, stone, or concrete block, usually with the use of martyr as a bonding agent” (Ching, 2014, p. 12.06). Note: Because unit masonry is structurally most effective in compression, the masonry units should be laid up in such a way that the entire masonry mass acts as an entity. Point Load A point load can be thought of as a concentrated load, it is a load that acts at a particular location or ‘point’ of a supporting structural element. Beam(s) “… are rigid structural members designed to carry and transfer transverse loads across space to supporting elements” (Ching, 2014, p. 2.14) Note: The non-concurrent pattern of forces subjects a beam to bending and deflection, which must be resisted by the internal strength of the material.
Additional terminology: Isotropic materials: Isotropic materials display similar characteristics no matter which direction the force is applied in. This is not the case for anisotropic materials, which are not equal in compression and tension.
Bibliography Ching, F. D. K. (2014). Building Construction Illustrated (5 ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken. Â