IO Project

Some of the greatest wonders of our world are manmade. Consider structures such as the Pantheon, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Aswan Dam, The Channel Tunnel, and the Petronas Towers. Structural engineering has evolved along side our technological advancements architectual innovations to create some of our greatest accomplishments as well as some of our greatest failures. When one sets out to design a structure he or she must try to consider all of the elements that may possibly enhance or add strength and durability to that structure. At the same time one must try to foresee any potential weaknesses or outside forces that could lead to its failure or its ultimate demise.

Imagine you are a member of a design and engineering firm that is bidding for a major construction contract. Through the course of this project students will take on the roles of structural planners. As a team they will research the necessary background information that will be needed to design a bridge that will best meet the needs outlined in an assigned scenario. The vast amount of information on the internet will be at their disposal.

-What are the design options and material choices?
-What are some of the lessons engineers have learned in the past?
-What forces and factors must be considered in their specific scenario?
-What considerations must be made regarding cost and aesthetics?

When all necessary information has been attained, the student team must design and construct a model of a bridge and create a presentation which sells their bridge as the best possible option for the scenario.

Good Luck and have fun!

Curriculum

Science

Meet many of the concept and skill objectives of the Science 7 Structures and Forces Unit

Understand that the task of bridge design and building uses the fundemental principles of structural engineering. In addition many considerations must be made such as cost, aesthetics, purpose, material availability, etc.

1. Describe and interpret different types of structures encountered in everday objects, buildings, plants and animals; and identify materials from which they are made
-recognise and classify structural forms and materials used in construction
-interpret examples of variation in the design of structures that share a common function, and evaluate the effectiveness of designs

-identify points of failure and modes of failure in natural and built structures

2. Investigate and analyze forces within structures, and forces applied to them
-recognize and use units of force and mass, and identify and measure forces and loads
-identify examples of frictional forces and their use in structures
-identify tension, compression, shearing and bending forces within a structure; and describe how these forces can cause the structure to fail
-analyze a design, and identify properties of materials that are important to individual parts of the structure
-infer how the stability of a model structure will be affected by changes in the distribution of mass within the structure and by changes in the design of its foundation

3. Investigate and analyze the properties of materials used in structures
-devise and use methods of testing the strength and flexibility of materials used in a structure
-identify points in a structure where flexible or fixed joints are required, and evaluate the appropriateness of different types of joints for particular applications

4. Demonstrate and describe processes used in developing, evaluating and improving structures that will meet human needs with a margin of safety
-demonstrate and describe methods to increase strength of materials through changes in design
-identify environmental factors that may affect the stability and safety of a structure, and describe how these factors are taken into account
-analyze and evaluate a technological design or process on the basis of identified criteria such as costs, benefits, safety and potential impact on the environment

Skill Outcomes

-identify practical problems related to the stability of a structure
-propose alternative solutions to a practical problem, select one, and develop a plan
-formulate operational definitions of major variables
-research information relevant to a given problem
-carry out procedures, controlling the major variables
-test the design of a constructed design or system
-evaluate designs and prototypes in terms of function, reliability, safety, efficiency, use of materials and impact on the environment
-identify and correct practical problems in the way a prototype or constructed device functions
-communicate questions, ideas, intention, plans and results, using lists, notes in point form, snetences, data tables, graphs, drawings, oral language and other means
-work cooperatively with team members to develop and carry out a plan, and troubleshoot problems as they arise

Curriculum

Mathematics

Use concepts of symmetry and angle relationships in the design and construction of bridges:
- Describe the relationships between the pairs of angles pertaining to parallel lines and transversals

- Use mathematical reasoning to determine the measures of angles in a diagram

- Construct angle bisectors and perpendicular bisectors

- Relate reflections to lines and planes of symmetry

Task

Task #1 - Finding Out (Role-specific research)

Gather, through reasearch the necessary background information needed for your group to base its planning descisions and ultimately steer its proposal. Students will have the chance to search various sites on-line to attain information relevant to their specific role. Following this they will need to summerize their findings in a written (word-proceesing) report to their team members

Within your team of engineers, individual specialist will be determined (The structural historian, the construction materials expert, the design expert and if necessary, a special considerations consultant (i.e. for environmental impact assessment, or geological considerations)

Start: End:

Activity

The Structural Historian

-Historical reasearch of bridge successes and failures
-identify examples of bridges that have experienced
structural
failures Why did they fail? Was the failure due to
material,
design or extraordinary circumstances?
-Identify examples of a variety of bridge success
Why were they a success? What obstacles did they
overcome? Why were these specific designs and
materials
selected?
-present this information to your teams members and prepare
to incorporate it into your teams' decision-making process
and ultimately into your plan and and presentation to the
powers that be

Start: End:

Activity

The Materials Expert

-Research material options
-what materials are available for bridge construction?
-how do these materials compare in terms of their strength:
tensile, compressive, shear, torsion, etc.
-how do they compare in terms of their cost and availability?
-how do they compare in terms of their weight and stability of
the overall strucutre?
-present this information to your teams members and prepare
to incorporate it into your teams' decision-making process
and ultimately into your plan and and presentation to the
powers that be

Start: End:

Activity

The Design Expert

-research the variety of bridge designs
-understand the types of circumstances in which you might
find each type
-how does each type deal with stresses and loads that might
be placed upon them?
-are there limits to what each type will suport
-present this information to your teams members and
prepare to incorporate it into your teams' decision-
making process and ultimately into your plan and and
presentation to the powers that be

Start: End:

Activity

Special Consideration Expert - if necessary

-Determine what special considerations must be made in your
task of designing and constructing your bridge
-perform an environmental impact assessment of the area in
question
-if there are geological considerations to be made, find out what
they are and determine how they impact your groups' bridge
design. What must be done in order to accomodate any
unique circumstances that might exist (eg. earthquakes,
environmentally sensitive area, etc.)
-present this information to your teams members and prepare
to incorporate it into your teams' decision-making process
and ultimately into your plan and and presentation to the
powers that be

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Task

Task #2 - Bringing it Together

Using the compilation of research and data collected by each team member, use collaborative decision-making to generate (in draft form) one or two design proposals that will best accomplish your task. If you generate more than one proposal you must then determine which design would be best in meeting the following: cost limitations, material availability and margin of safety. Your group may choose to consult a 'real' expert (civil or structural engineer) to help you finalize your design choice. If this is done, any suggestions or recommendations must be noted in the final proposal.
Students will have the chance to contact and correspond with an expert via electronic mail

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Task

Task #3 - What Would it Look Like? The group will draft a drawing for their bridge design (from a variety of perspectives). Keeping in mind that this is the blueprint for your model and that it should be realistic and where possible, to scale.
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Task

Task #4 - From Paper to 3-D Using your drawing as a blueprint create a model of your bridge (using materials provided: such as toothpicks, popsicle sticks, balsa wood, string, glue, etc.) The model should be to scale.
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Task

Task #5 - Sell it to me... (The Presentation)

To accompany the model of your bridge design your group must develop a proposal (in PowerPoint) which will summarize the research of your team and outline all of the considerations that you made in your task of selecting a design. This presentation is what would be considered in determining whether or not your firm (your team) would receive the contract for this design and construction project. It must be thorough and persuasive making use of fact and example.

Student will have the chance to document their work using digital images which might be incorporated into their presentations. Students will use PowerPoint as the primary tool for their presentation

Start: End:

Task #1 - Finding Out (Role-specific research)

	1	2	3	4
Depth of research	Student has located no information relevant to his/her assigned topic	Student has located a limited amount of information relevant to his/her assigned topic	Student has located an adequate amount of information relevant to his/her asssigned topic	Student has located a great deal of information relevant to his/her assigned topic
Quality of information	Information located by student is in most cases limited and superficial.	Information located by student is in some cases limited and superficial.	Information located by student is sufficient and shows basic understanding	Information located by student is meaningful showing depth of knowledge.

Task #2 - Bringing It Together

	1	2	3	4
Information Summary- Planning Journal	Student has failed to complete a summary of partners' research information	Student has completed a partial summary of partners' research information yet is missing many important details	Student has completed a satisfactory summary of partners' research information with only a few missing important details	Student has completed an excellent summary of partners' reseach information
Draft Proposal	Group has generated a weak proposal with no consideration of information acquired through research.	Group has generated a superficial proposal which has limited consideration for specialists input	Group has generated a collaborative proposal which illustrates some consideration of specialists' research	Group has generated a collaborative proposal which is based on sound facts and thorough consideration of all specialists' research

Task #3 - What Would It Look Like?

	1	2	3	4
Neatness and Detail	Blueprint is neatly drawn with moderate detail.	Blueprint is unclear with no attention to detail. Lines drawn without a ruler.	Blueprint is neatly drawn yet shows inadequate detail.	Blueprint is neat and clear and demonstrates excellent attention to detail.
Perspective	Blueprint correctly illustrates design from two perspectives.	Blueprint is vague and fails to correctly illustrate the a design from any perspective.	Blueprint is general and correctly illustrates the design one perspective.	Blueprint correctly illustrates design from three perspectives (side, top, point of entry/exit).
Design Principles	Blueprint illustrates no considerations for design principles and fails to show consideration for materials used	Blueprint illustrates questionable design principles and innefficient use of materials	Blueprint illustrates sound design principles but excess use of materials OR Efficient use of materials but questionable design principles	Blueprint illustrates excellent design principles and efficient use of materials

Task #4 - From Paper to 3-D

	1	2	3	4
Accuracy of Realization	Design model does not resemble the blueprint.	Design model is an adequate representation of the blueprint despite several discrepancies	Design model is a sufficient representation of the blueprint with few discrepancies.	Design model is an excellent representation of the blueprint.
Structural Strength	The bridge is unable to support any weight beyond its own	The bridge is capabe of supporting weight at the level of "unsatisfactory" as established within the project code	The bridge is capable of supporting weight at the level of "saisfactory" as established within the project code	The bridge is capable of supporting weight at the level of "excellence" as established within the project code.

Task #5 - Sell it to me...(The Presentation)

	1	2	3	4
Powerpoint Slides - Organization	Information contained on slides is completely irrelevent and disorganized	Contains some irrelevent information and is disorganized and disjointed	Slides are completely relevent but are somewhat disjointed	Smooth flow exists between completely relevent slides
Powerpoint- Presentation Narrative	Students fail to support slide presentation with any sort of narrative	Students provide weak narrative which at time detracts from the slide presentation	Students provide an informed and organized narrative which compliments the slide presentation	Students provide an authoritative and organized narrative which compliments and enhances the slide presentation
Powerpoint presentaiton- The Pitch	Students create a weak "bid" which addresses none of the areas of concern in a suported manner	Students create a weak "bid" which fails to address most areas of concern in a supported manner or addresses areas of concern on a superficial level	Students create a "bid" which addresses many areas of concern in a thorough and supported manner but fails to address others beyond a supericial level	Students create a strong "bid" which accurately addresses all areas of concern(design, materials, forces, aethetics, environment, cost) in a thorough and supported manner