Construction Building and Beams Instructional Guide www i

Construction: Building and Beams Instructional Guide www. i 3 cubed. com

During this unit you are going to: l l l Explore forces that act on structures. Discover the strength of a beam varies. Design, construct, test, and evaluate paper beams.

Forces Compression - The act, process, or result of pressing or squeezing together. Tension - The act or action of being stretched or the condition of being stretched.

Beam Efficiency Weight Beam Held Beam Efficiency = Weight of Beam X 100

Design Challenge You are a structural engineer and you are helping your parents design a family room addition to a house that has a deck on the roof. The challenge is to design a deck strong enough to support family and friends. You will create the strongest beam possible. A successful beam will support family, friends and the deck itself. The strength/efficiency of the beam will be determined by dividing the final load by the beam’s weight.

Step 1 – Identify a challenge • What is the challenge? • Brainstorm ways of constructing the beams out of one sheet of paper.

Step 2 – Explore Ideas • Draw end and side views of two possible beams. √ Identify a challenge

Step 3 – Plan and Develop • Sketch the best idea. • Sketch a refined design. √ Identify a challenge √ Explore Ideas

Step 4 – Testing and Evaluating • • How much weight did it hold? What can you do to make it stronger? Revise and draw design. ü What changes did you make? ü What are the differences from the first design? Which design was better? Why? √ Identify a challenge √ Explore Ideas √ Plan and Develop

Step 5 – Presenting the Solution • What are the final dimensions, weight, and load? • Determine the efficiency. • List the materials used. • How well did the project go? ü Would you change anything? √ Identify a challenge √ Explore Ideas √ Plan and Develop √ Testing and Evaluating

Conclusion l Compare all of the beams with the class. l l How are they different? How are they similar? How could they be made better? Discuss and design a final beam with the whole class.