Truss Tower
Conceptual Model
Identify the Problem: Building a balsa tower using conventional construction methods that can withstand 50+ pounds of pressure
Generate Ideas:
- "go small" and make a really small but dense tower
- Make a medium sized "cylindrical" tower.
- Make two small box-shaped structure with beams on the sides, and stack and glue the two boxes ontop of each other.
Constraints:
- Size: 2x2x3 to 4x4x5
- Materials: Balsa wood, glue, sandpaper, pins
- Must withstand at least 50 pounds force
- Make the most pressure-withstanding tower with the least amount of weight
Criteria:
- Ease of build
- Sturdiness
- Surface area
Research:
-Theoretical Research: Gussets and laminations help to make a stronger tower.
-Empirical Research: We have not learned anything through trial and error yet because we have not tested out our design.
Possible Solutions:
Me (Guil) - I wanted to make more of a triangular design for our truss tower, but a triangle that didn't coverage at a central upper point. Like a box triangle.
Kyra - She wanted to make two boxes and then glue them on top of each other
Idea Matrix:
Generate Ideas:
- "go small" and make a really small but dense tower
- Make a medium sized "cylindrical" tower.
- Make two small box-shaped structure with beams on the sides, and stack and glue the two boxes ontop of each other.
Constraints:
- Size: 2x2x3 to 4x4x5
- Materials: Balsa wood, glue, sandpaper, pins
- Must withstand at least 50 pounds force
- Make the most pressure-withstanding tower with the least amount of weight
Criteria:
- Ease of build
- Sturdiness
- Surface area
Research:
-Theoretical Research: Gussets and laminations help to make a stronger tower.
-Empirical Research: We have not learned anything through trial and error yet because we have not tested out our design.
Possible Solutions:
Me (Guil) - I wanted to make more of a triangular design for our truss tower, but a triangle that didn't coverage at a central upper point. Like a box triangle.
Kyra - She wanted to make two boxes and then glue them on top of each other
Idea Matrix:
Summary: Our group chose the Two-box stack because it won on the idea matrix and because we felt that it work best in given the criteria and constraints.
Graphical Model
These three images are our graphical models. The sketchup model and two "technical sketches" below it show clarity, the dimensions of our tower, are neat, and all details are included.
Mathematical Model
Contribute: We contributed and filled out a Google Form.
Analyze: All data was used in the making of graphs and in the analyzing process, but outliers were deleted or fixed to match the rest of the results. Graphs were made to measure what held the most weight. Adjust: We did not adjust our Truss tower because of time constraints and because we just didn't as a class. If we did make adjustments, however, according to what held the most weight in the graphs, we would have: - increased tower length - increased tower width - increased tower weight - decreased tower height - increased build quality Weight held in correlation to tower length. According to this graph, more length = more weight held. Weight held in correlation to tower width. According to this graph, more width = more weight held. Weight held in correlation to tower height. According to this graph, more height = less weight held. Weight held in correlation to tower weight. According to this graph, more weight = more weight held. Weight held in correlation to build quality. According to this graph, better build quality = more weight held. |
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Working Model
Pictures and progress:
1. The set-up: Set-up a sort of "construction site" to build the faces of the Truss Tower.
2. The build: Build the faces of the Truss Tower using glue and Balsa sticks, and pins to hold it in place while the glue drys. 3. Finalizing the Tower: After finishing the two small boxes, we glued them together to make the final Truss Tower, with the box on the right in the picture --> being the base (its stronger than the top box). 4. After Testing: We did not hold 50 pounds and there were multiple fractures and broken faces from what was a Truss Tower. |