SHAKE IT UP!!!

Earthquake resistant buildings

When building a

house, does using more flexible materials make the building or structure more earthquake resistant???

Problem/Purpose

Research

Our research showed us that no building or structure can be 100% earthquake proof. But buildings can be close enough to 100% that they don fall down. It helps if the materials are more flexible. Real buildings should use more cement than steel, so that they are stiff, but flexible. Different materials can work better than others, though. Being in an earthquake is very dangerous, and that’s why you should have a well-equip house. That is what we learned from our research.

Hypothesis

If we use flexible materials then it will be more earthquake resistant.

Independent variable: How we build the structures.

Dependent Variable : How fast it falls of the shake table

Materials

Procedures

1. Lay 11 popsicle sticks flat.

2. Tape them together

3. Repeat 5 times to form other walls

4. Tape together to form a box, taping one to bottom and one to top ( leave one side open to create top)

5. Cut bottom of tissue box

6. Cut slits in bottom

7. Fold bottom up

8. Take lump of model magic

Procedures (cont)

9.Put pop house on the shake table.

10. Shake.

11. Record Data.

12. Do 2 more trails.

13. Repeat with clay house and tissue house.

Data Table

MATERIALS TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2 TRIAL 3 AVERAGE

BOX 2 8 11 9

CLAY 8 3 7 6

POPSICLE 8 8 4 4.6

Analysis

BOX CLAY POPSICLE0

2

4

6

8

10

12

TRIAL 1TRIAL 2TRIAL 3AVERAGE

Citations

NPR, Christopher Joyce. "In Haiti's Rebuilding, Calls For Stronger Structures.”www.npr.org. NPR, 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.      <http://www.npr.org/2011/1/14/132904427/      in-haiti-rebuilding-calls-for-stronger-structures>.

Science Museum. "Building for Extremes." http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk.      Science Museum, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/      antenna/building/environment/index.asp>.

Perkins, Sid. “Rocking The House”. Science News For Kids. January 2, 2007. http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2007/01/Rocking-the-house-3/

"Guide to Housing Vulnerable to Earthquakes." http://quake.abag.ca.gov.      Association of Bay Area Governments, 27 Jan. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.      <http://quake.abag.ca.gov/housing/>.

Conclusion, Part 1

Are hypothesis using flexible materials will make are structures more earthquake proof. Our hypothesis was not supported by our data, because the sturdier structures with stood more. If were redoing the experiment we would measure it with height, and we should have made the house more robust.

Conclusion, Part 2

We think are results relate to the real world, because scientists are trying to find materials to buildings more flexible. If that happens, then humans can be safer when in earthquakes.

THE END