1. Introduction
1.1 What is structure?
Structure: a building or other object constructed from several parts.
1.2 Structural elements and types of forces
• Beam: a rigid member or structure supported at each end, subject to bending stresses from a direction perpendicular to its length Tension and compression
• Arch: a curved masonry construction for spanning an opening, consisting of a number of wedge like stones, bricks, or the like, set with the narrower side toward the opening in such a way that forces on the arch are transmitted as vertical or oblique stresses on either side of the opening. Compression
• Compression: the application of balanced inward (“pushing”) forces to different points on a material or structure, that is, forces with no net sum or torque directed so as to reduce its size in one or more directions. Compression
• Torsion: the twisting of a body by two equals and opposite torques. Torsion
• Column: a rigid, relatively slender, upright support, composed of relatively few pieces. Compression
• Live load: the weight of people or goods in a building or vehicle. (i.e. something that moves)
• Tension: the state of being stretched tight. Tension
• Shear: a strain produced by pressure in the structure of a substance, when its layers are laterally shifted in relation to each other Shear
• Brace: strengthening piece of iron or timber used in building or carpentry Torsion and compression
• Dead load: the intrinsic weight of a structure or vehicle, excluding the weight of passengers or goods
2. Famous Tower
2.1 The Eiffel Tower
1. It is located in Paris, France
2. Construction started in 1887 and finished in 1889, lasting 2 years
3. The Eiffel tower currently functions as a transmitter station. At the time of building, it functioned as an entrance for the 1889 world fair.
2.2 Corrosion
4. Corrosion is a natural process, which converts a refined metal to a more chemically-stable form, such as its oxide, hydroxide, or sulfide. It is the gradual destruction of materials by chemical and/or electrochemical reaction with their environment. On the Eiffel tower, corrosion is minimized by periodically coating the tower with high-grade anti-corrosion coating. The iron oxides in the coating offer maximum light and weather stability, high tinting strength and chemical resistance.
2.3 Materials
5. The tower was constructed using puddling iron.
Social and Communal effects of famous tower
6.
The Eiffel tower greatly affected the community in France. Socially it has boosted the economy as it became a famous tourist attraction receiving millions of people each year; resulting in the growth in tourism industry. Environmentally the tower is the world’s sustainable monument since the installation of two wind turbines to generate power in 2015, meaning that is does not greatly affect the environment.
3. Workshop drawing
Tower 1
Front View
Side View
Tower 2
Front View
Side View
4. Analysis of Structure Testing
Tower 1
Isometric
Top view
Side view
Tower 2
Isometric
Top view
Side/Front view
5. Evaluation
5.1 Evaluation of Balsa wood and reasons for its use
Balsa wood is made from the Ochroma pyramidale plant (native to the tropical regions of the Americas), it is most often white to off-white or a tan color. It has a straight grain with a medium to coarse texture and low natural luster (wood database). Balsa wood was likely chosen for this assignment because of its workability (ease of use/manipulation) as it has very low density meaning that it is easy to cut; it also has essentially no dulling effect on cutters. Because of its ease of use, balsa is often used in models (such as model airplanes or model towers). Also, because it is low density and lightweight, there is less force required to demonstrate the structural integrity of a model; if timber was used, nails would also likely be used resulting in a stronger model, but it would require much more force to show the weak points in the structure.
5.2 Evaluation of Class Results
My tower was ranked 3rd in the class and 7th in the year. There were 13 towers that held more than my 33 kilograms, however it was the lightest in the class weighing 12 grams making more efficient than many. The reason for this is that many towers in the class used trusses that crossed each other like an ‘X’ shape, but my tower used half the number of trusses as I only used one trusses per story instead of two. Even though using two trusses per height instead of one would likely have kept the tower more stable and enabled it to hold more weight, the difference would not have been enough to make the tower more efficient. Alongside the lightweight design, it was partially due to the fact that my construction was not quite perfect; it there was one side that was too long, making the tower slightly crooked, also not all of the trusses were the same length. To fix this, I should have measured all twelve trusses, 4 columns and 8 beams with a ruler beforehand to avoid any mismeasurements. I should also have pieced each side together and seen if I was missing any pieces, had miscalculated anything or had any wrong pieces. Doing this would have likely resulted in a sturdier tower that weighed the same making it more efficient. Arthur’s tower had a similar exterior frame to mine, but his tower in addiction to a couple braces per side, contained four extra pillars that were centered on each side. Because of this, his tower was sturdier and held 10 more kilograms than mine (33kg vs 43kg). However, because of these additional pillars, his tower weighed close to double what mine weighed (12g vs 21g) and as a result of this, my tower was more efficient than his.
6. Bibliography
KG, V. (2018). Anti-corrosion coating for the Eiffel Tower. [online] European Coatings. Available at: http://www.european-coatings.com/Raw-materials-technologies/Raw-materials/Coatings-pigments/Anti-corrosion-coating-for-the-Eiffel-Tower [Accessed 1 Apr. 2018].
LifeGate. (2018). The Eiffel Tower is the world’s most sustainable monument – LifeGate. [online] Available at: https://www.lifegate.com/people/news/eiffel-tower-sustainable-monument [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018].
Wood-database.com. (2018). Balsa | The Wood Database – Lumber Identification (Hardwood). [online] Available at: http://www.wood-database.com/balsa/ [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018].
Encyclopedia Britannica. (2018). Arch | architecture. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/arch-architecture [Accessed 7 Mar. 2018].
wiseGEEK. (2018). What Is a Structural Beam? (with pictures). [online] Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-structural-beam.htm [Accessed 1 Apr. 2018].