STUDIO  JOUNRAL  WEEK  2  

   

1. Task description

This week ‘s tutorial, we were again assigned to build a tower, but instead of using blocks, we were asked to use many long thin strips of balsa to build the tower. Then observing its collapsing point when stress is applied to the tower, with taking the factors of its joints,

dimensions, bracing and buckling etc into consideration at the same time, as to what makes it collapse and how to make it more stable and durable.

                                                                                                                                                                          STUDIO  JOUNRAL  WEEK  2  2. Constructing processes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1). A triangular base was chosen for the tower, since it is the most easy-forming shape and relatively stable too. Our group did not break up the strips into smaller strips like the other groups did, as we thought it was time-consuming and also the tower may not get as high as we expected within the limited time frame due to the smaller strips. So we decided to use the original length of the strips to build the tower. However, when we started to destroy the tower later, we saw the flaws of building towers in such a way by comparing with other groups’ works.

Because of the strip was too long, the bottom part of the strip had to bear all the force, which was exerted from the top and middle part of the strip, made it not easy to stand still even with glue. So we decided to make two little standings to support it and help it settle down, which was called ‘bracing’. These two little strips shared the force and pressure that the bottom of the strip had to bear with, so it got less pressure to bear with. Also the two small strips

had got a strong triangular foundation to back them up, which shared the force they needed to stand. Eventually, the structure reached to a steady state.    

                                                                                                                                                                          STUDIO  JOUNRAL  WEEK  2  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3). It was found that the tower started wobbling after another triangle was placed. So some support was decided to add for stabilizing the whole structure, by adding an ‘I’ shaped strips into the middle section of the

tower, ‘-‘ which was the one that paralleled to the side of the triangle was called ‘Joist’, and as for ‘l’ which stand vertically is called “ column” as it acted as a support between the two layers. The reason of doing this was for the purpose of linking the foundation and the second layer together as well as the sides of two triangles together. And it eventually stopped wobbling of the structure as we expected.

4). By reinforcing the frame structure of first two layers, the tower tended to be more stable, so building third layer on top of that had hardly effect on its stability. Therefore no extra was needed here.

                                                                                                                                                                          STUDIO  JOUNRAL  WEEK  2    

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5). The final outcome of the tower was shown on the left. Our tower was the highest among the other groups. However, its stability may not be so.

                                                                                                                                                                          STUDIO  JOUNRAL  WEEK  2  3)destroying process

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When stress (compression force) was applied to the tower, deformation occurred, which had turned the tower into a weird shape, which somehow proved the flexibility of balsa itself and its ability of enduring relative strong stress. It was expected that, the one broke first should either because of the uneven applied

compression force onto the tower (Image 2), and surely the broken one should endure the most stress, or the thinnest part along the strip since the strips were cut by hand not machine, they can’t possibility be exactly the same size and thickness, so the broken part had to be the thinnest part of that strip (Image 1), which was unable to bear too much stress applied. Therefore ended up being snapped. Hence, long slender columns usually fail because of buckling. However, groups who used shorter strips to build the tower gained better durability, as it is more stable and durable.

IMAGE 2

IMAGE 1

                                                                                                                                                                          STUDIO  JOUNRAL  WEEK  2    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Conclusion

Through this activity, I understood how a good frame could help constructing a building and how some extra support like bracing and joists

can let it stay more stable. I also understood the way we build frame as well as the material which we used to construct the tower may have

influence on its capability of adapting itself to bear the force applied.  

 

DEFLECTION

BUCKLING