For this challenge, you will construct a tower made of craft and recycled materials. Your tower should be able to support at least a tennis ball or an object with similar weight off of the ground. Have you ever wondered how tall buildings like sky scrapers and telecommunication towers are able to stand up so straight and strong while fighting against wind, gravity and other elements (called loads) all at the same time? Engineers who build towers need to consider not only what material to use but also how to design them. When done successfully after continuous trial and errors, tall towers can provide more space and look cool while doing it!
Consider This
There are so many different ways of designing towers! Some Civil Engineers design towers as their whole job! What type of tower will you build? What design helps you build the tallest free-standing structure?
Key Terms
beam: (noun) a long thick piece of material used in construction
component: (noun) one of the individual parts making up a larger entity
column: (noun) a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright
construction: (noun) the act of building something
Resources
Towers in the real world are made out of all different sorts of building materials. Learn about I-Beams by watching this video!
https://pbskids.org/designsquad/video/what-i-beam/
Project Examples
Have a solution to this challenge you want to share? Take a photo or video of your prototype, post it on social media, and don’t forget to tag us @fluxspace_io
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