Earthquake MST Guidelines

SHAKE RATTLE-AND-ROLL

An MST Honors Project

During the past century many countries have fallen victim to massive and destructive earthquakes. The results of these quakes have been property damage costing billions of dollars and more importantly, the loss of many lives.

In an attempt to reduce these losses, the science of earthquake engineering has emerged. The focus of earthquake engineering is to design structures that can resist the forces of a powerful earthquake. Earthquake engineers are faced with a difficult problem, how to design an earthquake resistant building that is cost effective and build -able.

Objective: To design, model, and test an earthquake resistant highway overpass while staying within the constraints and specifications provided. The model must demonstrate a high strength to weight ratio.

Constraints:

  1. The basic structure and all support structures must be made out of pasta. The following pasta types may be used (any brand) Capellini, Fettuccine, spaghetti, linguine, orzo and fuselli
  2. Not allowed: Lasagna, elbows, ziti, rigatoni, or any pasta that forms a hollow tube.
  3. No metal can be used on any part of the bridge or overpass
  4. Earthquake proofing material may be made of any materials.
  5. You may use any kind of glue

Specifications:

  1. The overpass must span a distance of 500 mm with no center supports of any kind touching the bed of the quake machine
  2. The roadbed must be 60 mm wide
  3. The roadbed must be able to accommodate a 60mm x 60mm loading block to which a rope and bucket will be suspended and hang down below the roadbed.
  4. The overpass will be supported on each end by wood blocks
  5. The model must support a load of 2000grams, which will be the total weight of the loading block, the bucket and weight placed into the bucket.
  6. The model must withstand vibrations from a shake table for a period of 30 seconds while it is loaded.
  7. The complete structure must reflect a high strength to weight ratio
  8. See bridge terms defined on next page following grade explanations

 

Your grade will consist of 3 parts:

  1. A research and design portfolio
  2. The actual structure itself
  3. Oral presentation using PowerPoint, which includes a video of your structure being shaken, and an emergency plan pamphlet using desktop publishing software.

A grading rubric has been included with this packet for each of the three parts.

 

Bridge Terms Defined

                            

 

                                                        

The truss structure above the roadway of a bridge is called the super-structure. The sub-structure is that portion of the bridge below the roadway of the truss bridge. To further strengthen the design of a bridge, an engineer may choose to add  sub-structure

The following definitions apply to this MST project:

Bridge Length: the overall length of the bridge including the span and the required

bearing surface of the roadbed. (1 cm minimum to 2cm maximum) on the bridge support

Superstructure: the structure of a bridge, which extends above the roadway

Sub-Structure: The structure of a bridge, which extends below the roadbed. Three cm maximum in this project

Test Block That piece of test apparatus to which a hook and string and 2 Kilograms of

weight will be attached. The dimensions of the test block will be 6cm x 6cm x 2cm

Span: The distance between the bridge supports which will be 6cm high

Roadbed: The part of the bridge_, which is meant to be traveled on. The bridge must be constructed to allow the test block and hook and string to pass through a bridge opening on the roadbed, so that a weight can be attached. See diagram on the next page.

Failure: The point at which the bridge collapses or sags and touches any part of the shake table.

Lamination: Two or more pieces of pasta glued together surface to surface along their entire length. Unlimited lamination is allowed

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design and Research Portfolio

Design and Research Rubric

Presentation Rubric

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see pictures of some bridges from a previous year