Design a Scaffold must be both stable and safe. Scenario ‘At summer camp, your group has been assigned the task of painting the outside of your cabin. To make the painting easier and safer, you decide to design a scaffold. The scaffold must be strong and stable, yet light enough to move from one location to another (Figure 1). It should also have steps at one end to allow you to safely climb up to the main platform. Your group will design, build, and test a scale model of a scaffold that is 3m long X 1.5 m high x 0.75 m wide. Figure 1 How will the features of your scaffold compare to the features ofthe scaffold shown here? Design Brief In this activity, you will work in a small group to build a scale model of the scaffold described in the Scenario, The model will be free-standing and will have a set of steps at one end. Using a scale of 1 cm to 10 em, your model will be 30 cm long x 15 cm high x 7.5 cm wide. As a class, you will decide on the types of materials allowed. In this activity, you will consider as many of the ideas you have learned as possible as you design, build, and test a structure that is efficient and useful at supporting a load. To be efficient, a structure must be low in mass but high in strength. To be useful, a structure ‘A TECHNOLOGICAL PROBLEM teeny a Designing Problen/Need Testing Panning Bi Nostyng i Selecting i Communicating Materia and Equipment You will try to apply as many of the ideas as possible from earlier in Chapters 10 and 11 to design a scaffold with a low mass. Then, you will test the steps at the end of the scaffold, one ata time, to see if each one can hold a 500 g mass without breaking or becoming unstable. You will also test the scaffold to see if it can safely hold a 4 kg mass in the middle without breaking or falling over. You will then determine the efficiency of the model by dividing the live Joad mass (4000 g) by the dead load mass. (As an example, a 100 g scaffold that supports a 4000 g load before breaking is quite efficient, but 500 g scaffold that supports the same load is inefficient.) Equipment and Materials * eye protection + apron + scissors + hand drill + screwdriver + 4 kg mass + 500 g mass + spring scale + ruler * construction materials + fastening materials Pca ime meleecS ~2 + ‘eye protection apr ‘scissors henson ames ~ } “ey, x, = 500 9 mass ‘spring scale ruler a, ‘construction fastening materials materials Research and Consider Review what you have learned in this unit. + What type of structure (solid, frame, shell, or combination) would be best for an efficient scaffold made of simple materials? + How can a span (the top of a scaffold) be reinforced without adding too much extra mass? + What design will ensure that the scaffold remains stable even if person walks up the steps at one end of the scaffold? Use these notes, research, and brainstorm with others to generate ideas. You may wish to use the Internet to see designs of different scaffolds. Make sketches of different designs that you might use. EE (5) Plan and Construct 1. In your group, choose the model that you will use from your brainstorming sessions. Make a working drawing of your best choice. 2. Create a step-by-step plan for building your scaffold. Include a list of materials you will use and equipment you will need. 3. Finalize your plan and have your teacher cheek it. 4. Construct your model. 5. Determine the model's mass in grams by hanging it from a spring scale. Test and Modify ‘Test your scaffold to see if each step can hold a 500 g mass without breaking and without causing the scaffold to tip. Then, test the main part of the scaffold to see if it can hold the 4 kg mass in the middle without breaking. If necessary, modify the design, and find its new mass. Perform the same tests for strength and stability. Keep a written record of the modifications you make and the results of these modifications. Evaluate Compare the performance of your scaffold with the criteria in the Design Brief, Answer the following questions: 1. How strong and stable was your scaffold when you first tested it? 2. What modifications did you make or would you make next time to create a stronger and more stable structure? 3. How did the efficiency of your scaffold compare to the efficiencies of the other scaffolds in class? Communicate Prepare a report to describe the final design of, your scaffold, Include a detailed diagram and any calculations you made.