Buildings vs. EarthquakesBy

Malik EnnisWendell LockeIndya Heyward

Laurence Zeffler

Problem/Purpose

How can a structure be build to withstand Earthquakes.

Research

Wendell, I researched Haiti call for stronger houses. The article states that when Haiti had the earthquake there houses fell really easy.

Indya, I researched what earthquake did to houses. In the article it stated that not all houses are damage by earthquake it all depends on how it was build.

Malik, I researched htttp://sciencemuseum. org . the article stated that engineers are trying to make earthquake resistant buildings.

Laurence, I researched on a site that informed me about problems that occur when building house. The site also told about different types of buildings.

HYPOTHESISWe think more flexible and strong buildings will withstand most earthquakes.

MATERIALS

Wire CutterWirePencilsPopsicle SticksPlay DoughToothpicksRubber BandsTapeCard Board boxTacksFolder

DATA TABLE

IV TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2 TRIAL3 AVERAGE

PLAYDOUGH AND POPSICLE STICKS

105 20 5 43.33

WIRE AND PENCIL

200 200 200 200

PLAYDOUGHAND TOOTHPICKS

12 11 3 8.66

ANALYSIS

Pencil and Wire Play

Dough and

Popsicle

Play Dough

and Touthpick

0

50

100

150

200200

105

12

200

2011

200

5 3

200

43.33

8.66

Trail 1 Trail 2 Trail 3 Average

PROCEDURE

Tape two popsicle sticks together with tape until you have made a house in a loose jumbled formation.

Take two pencils and brake them in half then wire those two pencils together continue this until you have a wire house.

Take two popsicles sticks and put them together with one play dough ball continue this until you have a cube formation

Take one ball of play dough and connect it to four to toothpicks continue until you have a triangle formation.

Take the houses and test them three times on the shake table then write the data down so you have it for your power point.

CITATION

Malik: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/antenna/buildingLaurence:http://www.quake.abag.ca.gov/housing Wendell: http://www.hpr.org/2011/1/14/132904427in-haiti-rebuilding-calls-for/stronger-structures Indya: http://www.scienceforkids.org/2007/01/rockingthehouse

CONCLUSION PART 1Our hypothesis was that strong and flexible

buildings will withstand more earthquakes. Our hypothesis was supported by our data because the strong and flexible buildings stayed standing the longest. An example of this is that the wire house’s supports were strong and durable yet flexible. The the popsicle and tooth pick houses were supported by play dough, the play dough's flexible composition helped absorbed the shock caused by the shake table. We would like to make our structures more complex and also test the play dough houses the day we make them because they are more flexible and less brittle. Our data was effected that we could not shake the shake table with the same strength each time we pulled on the rubber band.

CONCLUSION 2

Our results relate to the real world because it shows that houses that have strong and flexible supports (wire, and/or play dough houses) stand longer than house with weak supports that are not balanced. We think houses that are in earthquake zones should be built with wire like supports that are flexible yet strong and durable. We also think that houses should not only be made wit strong supports but also a stable base. We think this because the Haiti house collapsed, before the supports broke, so supports will do no good with out a strong foundation.