Rules for Vertical Load

Your model should be strong enough to carry a vertical load. ( Why?)

  1. Every floor of your model must be able to carry 10 grams for each square centimetre of its area.

  2. Your model must be able to carry the required load on all floors at the same time.

  3. On the day of the challenge, you can use the weights provided to check that your model can carry the vertical load.

Applying the Load

When your model is tested on the Shaking-Table it will be loaded in the following way:

  • We will add the vertical load to models using steel blocks., which we will glue firmly in place.

  • Each steel block will be 6.0 x 4.5 x 3.0 cm with a mass of 635 grams ( Why ? )

  • The number of blocks placed on each floor will be the lowest number needed to cover the minimum required mass for that floor.
    ( Work it Out )

Fixings for Steel Blocks

  • You must provide fixings on your model to show where the blocks will go.

  • Make the space for the blocks slightly larger than required (by about 2mm) to make sure they fit well.

  • Make sure that your floor can support the steel blocks. ( Show Me )

See a video of how violently models can shake when they are tested.
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