Download Structure Project (Bridge/Tower)

Structure Project (Bridge/Tower)
Introduction: When designing any structure, engineers must take into consideration all of
the forces that will be acting on the object. Most of the time, the main forces acting on a
structure is the weight of the structure itself. Sometimes, however, outside forces such as
hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or other natural phenomena will act on a body. Often,
engineers must act as “fortune tellers” and design a structure to withstand unforeseen
occurrences. Two of the most fascinating structures are bridges and towers
(buildings/skyscrapers/etc.).
Part I: Pick a partner and decide which of you will research bridges and which will
research towers (if possible, choose the one that you would prefer). Go to the website
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/index.html and choose the structure
(bridges/skyscrapers) you picked. Click on The Bridge Challenge or The Skyscraper
Challenge depending upon which item you are researching (also at the website:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/abt_chall.html).
Part II: Pick two different real-world structures and write a short description of each one
(bridge person should choose two different types of bridge i.e. a suspension bridge and a
truss bridge and tower person should choose two different types of towers i.e. a
skyscraper and the Eiffel Tower or two skyscrapers of different construction). Your
description should include when the structure was built, who designed the structure,
location of structure, construction materials, size of structure, etc. Print out or sketch a
picture of each structure. Make your own rough sketch of the structures and use arrows to
identify as many forces as you can on the structures.
Part III: Describe the role of a civil engineer, a structural engineer, and an architect in
the design of your type of structure. Also, what type of joining was performed on your
structure? Who was responsible for the joining procedure(s) used?
Part IV: You and your partner work in Human Resources for an Engineering Firm. Write
a job description for a position at your company. The job opening will be for one of the
careers you investigated in Part III. The job will involve designing and building the types
of structures you investigated in Part I. The job description should include the daily
duties and expectations of the person holding this position.
Some of the following websites may be of help:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html (skyscrapers)
http://www.mrsc.org/jobdesc/jobdescriptions.aspx (examples of job descriptions)
http://www.businessballs.com/jobdescription.htm (job description template)
AMJT – Course 1 – Project 4
“When the Wind Blows”