Week One Journal This week’s activity was to use the building blocks provided to building the highest possible tower in a group of 4. The tower needed an opening to accommodate the gazelle we had been given. The following explains our design and construction processes:
Photos were also taken at the various stages of design and construction and they are as follows: Design We decided to use an arched shaped with jagged block placing. Construction Maintaining the equal spacing and shape of the arch became increasingly difficult. Once high enough over the gazelle we created a beam from four blocks held together by elastic bands. They were tricky to form under the pressure of the elastics. The beam was then used to support the dome we consequently build on top. We built a dome on top of the arch, not at planned but how it came to be as it was easier and time was becoming an issue and we needed to build up. Completion The final result was as pictured. Although not the highest of the enclosures, after some testing by Heather, our enclosure had the most structural integrity. Collapsing after numerous tests of integrity by placing boxes of blocks upon it.
Conclusion The lightness and rectangular shape of the building blocks made building a semi-‐ circular shaped back of the enclosure rather difficult and the lightness of the blocks saw them constantly shifting easily from the slightest touch. Reflection This weeks tasks relates back to this weeks contents of mass construction and materials under compression forces. I believe our enclosure, being a mass construction and the wooden blocks being our material, coped well, and definitely the best out of the class, in terms of compressional forces. Although extreme heights can be met easily with minimal materials, the integrity and stability of a structure is not so easily met when trying to achieve great heights. Greater heights call for greater focus on the foundations for stability.