Testing the Effects of an Earthquake on the Structural Integrity of a Building
Students act as civil engineers and use the engineering design process to design and construct a building in an earthquake-prone area for a local developer. Students will have to make decisions on how many materials they use, because they will have a budget to meet. The building materials will include spaghetti noodles, toothpicks, flexible straws, marshmallows, and hot glue. They will also have to construct a building with specific size constraints and that can withstand a 2.5 lb. weight being placed on top of it. After construction, their building with the weight will be placed on a shake table. Students will measure the time their building remains standing during the earthquake. Students will review where their building first collapsed and redesign their building to try to make it last longer in a second earthquake. Finally, each group will use all of their information to develop a presentation of their results for the developer in hopes of winning the bid.
Students at work constructing their building.Copyright 2022, Jill Wold West Fargo, ND, RET Program, College of Engineering, North Dakota State University
Engineers building in earthquake zones must carefully design their buildings to keep infrastructure safe. Earthquakes produce three types of waves—primary, secondary, and surface—which cause buildings to sway and, in the worst circumstances, collapse. Engineers know that taller structures are more flexible, while shorter structures are more stiff. Because all buildings will sway in an earthquake, engineers must design buildings that will not shake at such a rate that could cause catastrophe. Using a shake table can simulate the waves and allow engineers to better design earthquake-safe buildings.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the components of the Engineering Design Process.
- Describe the effects of both vertical stress and sheer stress on a structure.
- Work collaboratively to create a structure within specified design constraints.
- Explain trade-offs in the design process using a cost-benefit analysis.
- Communicate the outcome of the design process to all parties involved.