Index ~~ Background ~~ Purpose ~~ Hypothesis ~~ Materials ~~ Earthquake Machine ~~ Modifications: Overlapping - Height - Buttresses - Base Isolators - Cross Braces - Roofs ~~  Resistant Buildings ~~ Problems ~~ Further Experimentation ~~ Bibliography

STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS:

OVERLAPPING AND STABILITY

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PROCEDURE

Four blocks were centered on the earthquake machine but not overlapped. A small rectangular building, three stories high, was built using more blocks. The handles of the earthquake machine were pulled back to the line then let go. When the machine had stopped shaking, the handles were pulled again and again until the building collapsed. Each pull of the machine was timed to last two seconds. Three trials were done. At the end of each trial, the building was rebuilt. The data for each trial was recorded.

Then another building was made but this time the blocks were overlapped and the building was square. The same procedure was followed as for the non-overlapped blocks.

 
A three layer building made of non-overlapped blocks

Three layer non-overlapped

 
A three layer building made of overlapped wooden blocks

Three layer overlapped

 

RESULTS

OVERLAPPED BLOCKS AND STABILITY
NON-OVERLAPPED AND OVERLAPPED BLOCKS
  3 LAYER 6 LAYER 9 LAYER
   non-overlapped  overlapped non-overlapped overlapped non-overlapped overlapped
  2 4 2 6 2 10
  2 6 2 10 2 12
  2 6 2 8 2 12
AVERAGE 2 5.4 2 8 2 11.3
% improved stability 170   300   465

 

 

CONCLUSION

Overlapping increased the stability of buildings because the blocks were all touching and the force from the earthquake machine was distributed evenly. The friction from the blocks rubbing one another stops them from falling down as quickly as when the blocks are not overlapped. The percent  improved stability for the six layer overlapped building was 300% more than the non-overlapped one. The nine layer overlapped building was 465% more stable than the non-overlapped.

 

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EARTHQUAKE MACHINE

 

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