Bowling Ball Tower Design Project
The Project:
The goal of this Project was to design and build a model water tower to hold a simulated tank (the bowling ball) for 30 seconds. The criteria for this project were that the tower can only be made from toothpicks and wood glue, the base of the structure could not exceed 15.2 centimeters in diameter, the vertical height of the tower had to be a minimum of 27.5 centimeters, the structure had to be free standing, the structure may not be coated with glue for added strength, and the structure must hold a 7,272 gram bowling ball above its foundation for thirty seconds.
The Design:
The selected design was a hexagonal tower. Each of the six sides were constructed individually as a series of trapezoid shaped chambers, then the six pieces were glued at their sides, and internal bracings were also added. The design was simple, but it was also poorly constructed and weak. The drawn design of the project met the height and width specifications, however, when it was finally assembled, it did not, and suffered as a result.
The Results:
The design however, did not meet height and width specifications, regardless of earlier planning. To meet the specifications, the bottom chambers of the six vertical pieces were removed, and an additional, longer chamber was placed on top. Testing was then done three days after the due date, and consequently, 15% was taken off the grade. However, some points were earned back by meeting the specifications. In the end, the tower still could not support the weight of the bowling ball. The poor construction in the joints of the legs of the tower caused a twisting motion that the design could not withstand. 65points out of a possible 100 were received for the performance of the tower. Combined with the immediate grade reduction of 15% for submitting the project a day late, the final grade was 120 out of a possible 200 points, or a 60%.
Experience, Lessons Learned:
The lessons learned are about work ethic and planning. Much of the project was done the night before it was due. Most of the structural disadvantages that led to the tower's collapse were due to the fact that the construction was rushed and because of the problems not even being foreseen in the first place. If the project had been worked on and planned for with greater focus, the results may not have been as poor.
The goal of this Project was to design and build a model water tower to hold a simulated tank (the bowling ball) for 30 seconds. The criteria for this project were that the tower can only be made from toothpicks and wood glue, the base of the structure could not exceed 15.2 centimeters in diameter, the vertical height of the tower had to be a minimum of 27.5 centimeters, the structure had to be free standing, the structure may not be coated with glue for added strength, and the structure must hold a 7,272 gram bowling ball above its foundation for thirty seconds.
The Design:
The selected design was a hexagonal tower. Each of the six sides were constructed individually as a series of trapezoid shaped chambers, then the six pieces were glued at their sides, and internal bracings were also added. The design was simple, but it was also poorly constructed and weak. The drawn design of the project met the height and width specifications, however, when it was finally assembled, it did not, and suffered as a result.
The Results:
The design however, did not meet height and width specifications, regardless of earlier planning. To meet the specifications, the bottom chambers of the six vertical pieces were removed, and an additional, longer chamber was placed on top. Testing was then done three days after the due date, and consequently, 15% was taken off the grade. However, some points were earned back by meeting the specifications. In the end, the tower still could not support the weight of the bowling ball. The poor construction in the joints of the legs of the tower caused a twisting motion that the design could not withstand. 65points out of a possible 100 were received for the performance of the tower. Combined with the immediate grade reduction of 15% for submitting the project a day late, the final grade was 120 out of a possible 200 points, or a 60%.
Experience, Lessons Learned:
The lessons learned are about work ethic and planning. Much of the project was done the night before it was due. Most of the structural disadvantages that led to the tower's collapse were due to the fact that the construction was rushed and because of the problems not even being foreseen in the first place. If the project had been worked on and planned for with greater focus, the results may not have been as poor.