Constructing Environments Ter Shin Ann 634002 Semester1/2014
Week One: Compression This week’s task involved building a tower as high as possible using MDF (medium density fibre) blocks. The tower must be able to accommodate a toy elephant and an opening is required.
My group and I wanted a tower that is tall at the same time stable; therefore we created a wide circular base for the tower.
We stacked the blocks like bondings of masonry units. At the base, the blocks set on the surface with the widest area (Stretcher) (ref: Ching, 5.26).
When the blocks are set this way, the base is wide and short, so the object will be more stable and will be able to support the tower.
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As the tower gets higher, we experimented with different patterns.. We decided to set the block upright (rowlock) to acts as columns to support the other blocks. Setting the blocks vertically also provides height.
Load transferred downwards
Columns are designed to act together with vertical and lateral reinforcement in the resisting applied forces (ref: Ching 5.04). A column is a compression member as they transmit the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below.
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Week Two: Frame This week’s task involved building a tower using frame construction process. The material used includes 40 thin cut pieces of balsa wood.
We started our base of the tower with a cube.
We cut out a small squared piece of balsa wood to act as fixed joints for the tower. The fixed joints help attach the balsa wood sticks together to form angular edges.
Fixed joints restrain rotation and translation in any direction, and provide both force and moment resistance.
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We realized a square shape only works well in smaller structures as our tower was starting to tilt to one side. We then cut out pieces of balsa wood to fit in a diagonal brace to make the tower more stable.
The diagonal brace acts as a reaction force against the resultant force.
Time didn’t permit us to make a taller or more stable tower so we decided to work fast and joined two sticks together to make longer sticks. A pyramid is added at the top. The spire is for aesthetic purposes and it also contributes to the height of the tower.
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The tower doesn’t topple easily because of the pyramid structure at the top. A pyramid structure is stable because it has triangular-shaped faces that meet at central point. It also gives maximum height to the tower.
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Comparisons with other group This group made a complex structure tower with a triangle base and they also made use of diagonal braces. This group made use of the maximum height of the balsa woods. Because of the triangle base, this group’s tower is more stable compared to ours. They also used extra sticks for their bases so that they will be able to withhold the overall slender and yet tall structure.
A triangle base evenly distributes compression and tension forces.
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