Assignment # Name: Aidan Period: 3 Date: 2/26/13
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Will My Building Withstand an Earthquake? Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was an innovator in designing buildings that could withstand earthquakes. For example, Wright designed the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, which withstood that citys severe 1923 earthquake with only minor damage. Many modern cities located in earthquake prone areas have enacted building codes designed to reduce damage to structures, thereby reducing the incidents of injury or death. Architects often go beyond these safety codes to ensure public safety. For example, the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco is stronger than required by the citys building code. It also has features built into its base that are designed to dramatically reduce how much the building will sway during an earthquake.
Problem: What design strategies keep structures safe in an earthquake? Hypothesis: If my structure of 18 centimeters tall can withstand an earthquake, then the design strategy of anchoring will be the most important factor in keeping it safe and minimizing damage. Materials: 40 Toothpicks 5 mini marshmallows or 25 grams of clay Sheet of paper (to build structure on and put names and group number on) Procedure: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Make your hypothesis if you havent already done so. On the back or bottom of this sheet, sketch a plan how you and your partner are going to build your structure. How are you going to use the materials? Draw an example of your structure. Have the teacher check and sign off on your drawing. Before you start building get a group number__10_. Once the teacher has given you your group number, you may start building your model. After you have finished making your model, fill out the data table for your group below. Place your model on the counter with a piece of paper underneath it and be sure your names and group number are on it. Collect data from all the other groups so that your data table is filled out. Results: Class Data Table for Period # _____ Group Height of Width of # of Anchored to Low #10 model base cross the paper (yes center of (centimeters) (centimeters) braces or no) gravity (majorit 10.1 11.1 13 Yes y of the mass is lower than halfway down Yes Rigid (clay) or Flexible (marshmallow) (choose one)\ Flexible Time lasted on the shake table (seconds) 15.0 seconds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
19.3 16.5 9.5 20.3 10.5 10.0 16.8 7.0 17.5
6.5 6.0 11.0 5.6 6.0 7.0 11 4.0 7.0
4 0 16 4 4 0 0 0 4
yes yes yes no yes yes no yes yes
low yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Flexible Flexible Flexible Rigid Flexible Rigid Rigid Rigid Flexible
15 15 15 6 15 2 5 3 15
10 11 12 13
10.1 10.5
6.0 6.0
2 2
no no
yes yes
Rigid rigid
15 2.0
Observations: The structure lasted all 15 seconds. 0% of the toothpicks fell off. Our structure tilted 0. _______6 of the 8 that were anchored made it 15 seconds. Unanchored structures went 6 seconds, 5 seconds, and 2 seconds. The flexible structures all lasted. None of the rigid ones made it. My hypothesis was right because I said anchoring was the most important thing. 6/8 of the anchored structures made the full duration and none of the unanchored structures made the full 15 seconds Conclusion According to pages 204 and 205 in the textbook, seismic safe buildings that are designed with base isolators, tension ties, dampers, flexible pipes, cross braces and shear walls can help save lives and reduce deaths during an earthquake. In this lab we were testing what design strategies keep buildings safe in an earthquake. I hypothesized that if my structure of 10.1 cm tall could withstand an earthquake, then the design strategy of anchoring would be the most important factor in keeping it safe and minimizing damage. Over the course of 15 seconds, my structure tilted 0 and 0% of the toothpicks fell off of the structure. Our structure lasted full duration of 15 seconds and 100% of our toothpicks remained on our structure. 100% of the 5 flexible structures made the 15 second quake. Seventy five percent of the eight anchored structures made the full fifteen seconds. Eighty percent of the flexible structures were anchored. In conclusion, my hypothesis was correct. Anchoring and a flexible frame were the most important factors in keeping the structures safe and minimizing damage during an earthquake.
