Assignment # Name: Reza Nadaf Period: 6 March 4, 2013

www.inhabitant.com/image

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 19 centimeters tall can withstand an earthquake, then the design strategy of wide base, (cross bracing, using a wide base, anchoring, a low center of gravity, rigid frame, or flexible frame) 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 4. 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 # model base cross the paper (yes center of (centimeters) (centimeters) braces or no) gravity (majorit y of the mass is lower than halfway down (yes or no) Rigid (clay) or Flexible (marshmallow) (choose one) Time lasted on the shake table (seconds)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

22.2cm 13.7cm .5 22.0cm 19.5 9.6 13.0 12.0 9.4 15.1

12.9cm 5.0cm 7.5 12.0 5.5 6.8 5.9 13.0 6.6 5.9

3 0 1 1 0 0 8 16 1 3

no no no no Yes yes yes yes no yes

no yes no no Yes Yes yes yes yes yes

Ridged riged ridged Rigid Flexible Flexable flexable flexable flexable Flexable

1 1 15 15 15 15 15 15 1 15

11 12 13 14 15 16

10.5 12.5 14.0 16.2 8.0 16.0

10.5 5.6 11.0 4.0 7.0 10.5

0 0 5 0 4 0

yes no no no no no

no yes yes yes no yes

Ridged Ridged ridged riged flexable Ridged

15 1 1 1 3 1

Observations: Our structure stood the full 15 seconds. 0 toothpicks fell off during the shake. Our structure was the tallest structure that survived the quake at 22cm tall! Our structure moved a lot around the board it would have fallen if it was not for the 4 tooth picks that were sticking out the sides. Conclusion: According to the textbook on page 204-205 shear walls, tension ties, base isolators, flexible pipes, cross braces, and dampers are good design strategies because they can reduce injuries during an earthquake. In this lab we used design strategies to help keep structures safe in an earthquake. I hypothesized that a wide base was most important to help a building withstand an earthquake. Over the course of fifteen seconds my structure lost zero toothpicks. My structure moved about fifty percent across the board. At twenty-two centimeters tall our building was the tallest in the class. Hundred percent of the buildings that were anchored lasted all fifteen seconds. Seventy percent of the structures that made it were flexible. In conclusion my hypothesis was incorrect, flexibility and anchoring were the most important factors in keeping the structures safe and minimizing damage during an earthquake.