Section 074
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Structural collapses are responsible for 75% of deaths in earthquakes. In other words, earthquakes would be a lot less fearsome and detrimental if we built our infrastructures and homes with an anti-earthquake foundation. This may not be important in every region however, for places like California that sit on tectonic fault lines the danger of earthquakes is imminent and frequent. So therefore, it is crucial for infrastructures to be sustainable. This project encourages us to put our minds together in ability to create a solution to this problem. To do so we familiarized ourselves with damping, absorption of energy, and the differences in building materials. We will create 3 structures: the shake table (which is our testing device), the controlled structure (structure without the anti-earthquake modifications), and our experiment structure with modifications.
THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT
RESEARCH
Research is a fundamental part of all projects. The shake system is one of the integral components of the project. The shake table is what will assess the integrity of our building structure. Therefore, research on different types of shake system is important. Through research we found several types of shake tables and different ways we could replicate these.Â
The earthquake dampening system is an area of research also very important for the project. Research will help us choose the right earthquake dampener system according to our building model. Different dampening systems are more effective for buildings of different heights and size.
DESIGN
According to the project guidelines, our model should be 2/3 floors therefore it would fall in the short/medium building category. Therefore, we should design the most effective model while paying attention to the cons of having a short tower rather than a tall one. We should also make sure that the expected design will be achievable using the K’NEX pieces.
BUILDING
Building will be the most crucial part of the project. The base tower will be built with K'nex, and we can use other materials to help anchor the structure and improve it to make it more effective in earthquake conditions. The shake table is how we will be able to replicate the back and forth shaking of a real earthquake. It will be made by constructing a rectangular frame, putting metal tubes long ways across the frame, then placing the plywood on top, in line with the frame. The plywood will then be secured to the frame with rubber bands. The plywood will be able to roll on the tubes but help by the rubber bands to create the earthquake effects. The table moves by hand
BILL OF MATERIALS - BASE STRUCTURE
This is the cost as given by our instructors. They provided us the costs of each K'nex pieces we had.
BILL OF MATERIALS - SHAKE TABLE
These are the materials to be used for the shake table, the cost is $0 because all of the materials were already owned.