Journal Entry - Week 1 ( Josh Davis 641144)

Constructing Environments ENVS10003 Journal Submission – Week 1

Our Base structure was largely based around an idea of strength. Therefore our pillars or props (corners) consisted of many blocks ensuring that there was an element of balance and leverage when a load or force was placed on the structure.

The initial reason for the walls were to fulfill the brief of surrounding the plastic animal, but when soon came to the realization that we could use them to further enhance our compression structure. In reality what we thought was just a wall, acted like a ‘buttress’, which acts as a reinforcement or support for the rest of the blocks in the structure. The concept of a buttress is quite broad in terms of types, however we examined that we used a setback buttress and an angled buttress.

Josh Davis 641144

With the base structure and roof complete, the walls were then needed so that extra support was provided. To an extent the roof was pulling the corner props inwards and therefore the force was acting in an inward fashion causing the outer parts of the structure to carry very little load. By using a buttress technique the walls were enabled to even out the load and direction of the force.

The roof was crucial to our strength and consisted of a layout with compression and tension. The pattern was predominantly tension however when elastic bands were used to pull in the pattern, the interlocked blocks also provided a minor element of compression. The interlocking system that we created, provided a very strong roof which spread out the force and load. Through tapered layering on both side of the top structure we were able manufacture a structure that would maintain a flat structure that could balance a force and therefore it ultimately maintained its strength characteristics.

Constructing Environments ENVS10003 Journal Submission – Week 1

Upon testing we were able to see that the compression structure under the roof was able to hold the roof and load that was placed on top very well. The tension-­‐ structured roof was able to evenly distribute the weight of the box on top of it and consequently we were then pushed to think of different ways that could eliminate any use of ‘tension’ in our structure. This found this quite difficult as this meant a tapering technique was needed to envelope the plastic animal amongst the structure.

Other groups planned and constructed their structures in vastly different ways. Other approaches such as a tapered design were quite successful and ultimately were able to create a result. The above structure spread out the weight very evenly due to its thick outer structures and ultimately the load was all directed outwards rather than straight down the middle on the weaker areas, with elastic bands to hold blocks together with tension. The structure was able to hold a good deal of weight throughout the testing phase, however under pressure the top of the structure encountered a change, where parts collapsed.

Josh Davis 641144

Another approach was predominantly based around tensions, however the elements of compression certainly enabled the structure to hold a load. The Structure above although very slim and weak looking was able to create a surprising result due to the consequential gravitational forces which arose due to strategic placement of a second layer of compression on top of the tension area. It was interesting that the structure was falling inwards until the second layer was added.