Week 01-Activity: FRAME The base of our frame was triangular but our model did not adopt the method of using trusses. Since our model did not consist of using diagonal bracing known as trusses, our structure could easily buckle if a load was applied. Since frame construction requires much less material compared to mass construction, I have learnt from this activity that bracing and having trusses is very important as trusses maximize the efficiency of the load transfer (Ching 2008).
Base of the frame
The corners of our frame were braced to enhance stability and stiffness, which allowed us to build higher up. The first level was fairly stable as the levelness of the ground significantly helped, but the second level of the frame was extremely unstable and would bend easily. When applying a downward force on the structure, the top half bent and buckled first. Applying a downward force without having the diagonal bracing proved that our frame was very unstable as the entire structure buckled almost instantly Braced corners to prevent bending
The wood in the middle of the triangle was applied at the end to enhance stability. It didn’t help too much, rather we should have placed them diagonally to create trusses. The image on the right is our final structure. The final level did not follow the pattern and structure of our frame as it was quickly done to maximize the height of the frame.
Reference: Ching, F 2008, building construction illustrated, John Wiley & Sons Inc, New Jersey