A House for Me: Materials and Design for Different Climates
For a house to best protect its inhabitants, it must be designed to suit the climate and building resources of its location.Copyright (bottom) NOAA, (left) FEMA, (right) 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved. http://www.noaa.gov/features/02_monitoring/images/snow1.jpg http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do;jsessionid=A046FDBC1D403C052CB2D57EFB2684C0.WorkerPublic3?id=12792
Students brainstorm and discuss the different types of materials used to build houses in various climates. They build small models of houses and test them in different climates.
Civil and environmental engineers are involved in designing structures. They must take into consideration the climate and type of land where they are building to ensure that the type of structure chosen will suit the environment. If an area is known for earthquakes, precautions must be taken to build a structure that can withstand as much of the impact of the earthquake as possible. If the area is extremely wet, the foundation must be made deep enough and solid enough for the house not to sink or slide.
- The impact climates have on the building of structures
- Details about several types of climates
- Basic structural design
- Basic experimental skills