Skyscrapers: Engineering Up!

http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/duk_/lessons/duk_tower_tech_less/duk_tower_tech_less.xmllessontext/xmlSkyscrapers: Engineering Up!Techtronics Program, Civil EngineeringSkyscrapersDesignForcesTowersStructuresRedundancyTuned Mass DamperLateral ForceDeflectionCivil EngineeringMemberFoundation

Skyscrapers are one of the most glorified products of Civil Engineering and contain an interesting history of progress and development. In this lesson, the students will learn about the history of the world’s tallest free standing structures and the basic design principles behind their success. Students will build their own newspaper skyscrapers with limited materials and time, trying to achieve a maximum height and the ability to withstand a “hurricane wind” force. Discussion will concentrate on materials, forces that a skyscraper needs to withstand, and basic structural design.

This lesson discusses the challenges faced by engineers while building the tallest skyscrapers in the world. The associated activities are both engineering design activities providing students the opportunity to become civil engineers. Students will be able to identify several different structural engineering principles relating to skyscrapers. Students will be able to match a design principle with famous skyscrapers. Students will be able to appreciate the difficulties in building tall structures. 1.5TeachEngineering.orgKelly Devereaux and Benjamin Burnham (Primary Contributors), Pratt School of Engineering, Duke Universityhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/S100858ANorth_CarolinaMath1.07 Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.66S101DA63North_CarolinaMath2.01 Estimate and measure length, perimeter, area, angles, weight, and mass of two- and three-dimensional figures, using appropriate tools.66S101C3D6North_CarolinaMath1.01 Develop and use ratios, proportions, and percents to solve problems.77S100E920North_CarolinaMath2.01 Draw objects to scale and use scale drawings to solve problems.77S1028415North_CarolinaScience1.02 Develop appropriate experimental procedures for: • Student generated questions.66S1028416North_CarolinaScience1.03 Apply safety procedures in the laboratory and in field studies: • Recognize potential hazards.66S102841ENorth_CarolinaScience1.05 Analyze evidence to: • Explain observations.66S1028421North_CarolinaScience1.06 Use mathematics to gather, organize, and present quantitative data resulting from scientific investigations: • Measurement.66S102842DNorth_CarolinaScience1.10 Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing: • Scientific text.66S1028435North_CarolinaScience2.02 Use information systems to: • Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution.66S1028437North_CarolinaScience2.03 Evaluate technological designs for: • Application of scientific principles.66S10284AFNorth_CarolinaScience1.01 Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.77S10284B1North_CarolinaScience1.02 Develop appropriate experimental procedures for: • Student generated questions.77S10284B5North_CarolinaScience1.04 Analyze variables in scientific investigations: • Identify dependent and independent.77S10284BANorth_CarolinaScience1.05 Analyze evidence to: • Explain observations.77S10284C9North_CarolinaScience1.10 Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing: • Scientific text.77S10284CCNorth_CarolinaScience2.01 Explore evidence that "technology" has many definitions. • Artifact or hardware.77S10284D0North_CarolinaScience2.02 Use information systems to: • Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution.77S102852ENorth_CarolinaScience6.06 Investigate and analyze the real world interactions of balanced and unbalanced forces: • Sports and recreation.77S1028533North_CarolinaScience1.02 Develop appropriate experimental procedures for: • Student generated questions.88S1028534North_CarolinaScience1.03 Apply safety procedures in the laboratory and in field studies: • Recognize potential hazards.88S102853CNorth_CarolinaScience1.05 Analyze evidence to: • Explain observations.88S102853FNorth_CarolinaScience1.06 Use mathematics to gather, organize, and present quantitative data resulting from scientific investigations: • Measurement.88S102854DNorth_CarolinaScience1.10 Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing: • Scientific text.88S1028550North_CarolinaScience2.01 Explore evidence that "technology" has many definitions. • Artifact or hardward.88S1028554North_CarolinaScience2.02 Use information systems to: • Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution.88S1028556North_CarolinaScience2.03 Evaluate technological designs for: • Application of scientific principles.88United StatesCopyright 2012 - Techtronics Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke Universityhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2008-09-267Teacher