Lately we're given a task by our science teacher to build a earthquake-proof building that is made of straws, pins, paper clips, strings and cardboard. We started building the task 2-3 weeks before the testing day.
At first, we tend to build it on Nicole's house, and eventually finish the first and second storey. Few days after, we realize that the one we made was not applicable for sir so we started all over again. We manage
to build again at Nicole's house and try to distinguish what could be the best way to make it stablelize with the use of pins and paper clips. So I started making small holes on the straws and connect the paper clips,
I also use pins to connect some part of the straws. So we finish our second building at Nicole's house on midnight. The day after that, after school, we go on Cafe Amicus with Kiana and Nicole to put the base which is the cardboard.
After we attach the cardboard, we do some testing with the heaviest book on Cafe Amicus and so it holds enough the book. And after a week before the testing day. After our leader Nicole attend the meeting, she and Kiana
insisted that we should make a new one again. Because we doubted that our building may not pass for the requirements such as measurements. So on that day, we go again on Nicole's house to build another one. I bought all
the materials needed for the building and immediately measures the straw if it is 18 cm and then it fit. So as I build our building, Kiana and Nicole volunteered to make the sketch and Lorraine was the one answering the questions.
So as I keep on measuring the straws I tend to connect all of the straw in pins only, starting from the base to the second storey to the third storey. I only uses pins because we realize that pins is much stable than paper clips.
So as I go on on our base, I make a hole on each sides of the buildings. I only use paper clips on the base because for me paper clips is the best stablelizer for that time due to the pins are already used. So our final building is doned.
We also do some testing again with a plate that has 250 grams on it and put it on the top of the building in which it stays and we also do the shaking to test its capability. After that night, we came up an idea to never bring our building
unless it's the testing day. So on the proceeding days, I evaluate all the building our classmates made, and so I compare it on ours and I never doubted that our building is the one that is strong. I even help the other groups on making their
buildings to be stablelize like the group of Clint, Bern, And Maeryll. And the day has come, the Testing Day, the first tester was our group BUT eventually I tend to woke up late and made our group to be test on afternoon. And so I ask my classmate
what would happen and they all says "kutob raman mi level 4 nya kulba jud kaayo" that statement made me frightened. When afternoon comes, I let the group of Clint to be first because I've saw what will happen in the room and apparently I need to add
some paper clips on each side of the building. And so when our group is called, we enter the room and place the building in the tester. So I let Kiana to be incharge on where to put the rice bags. And I only watches the building all along in which it
survives all 5 levels/stages. And as we go out I shouted "Yes! Thank You Lord!". And so we had our group picture together with our building :) *insert lorraine.
A. We tested the stability of our structure by putting books on top to imitate the weights during the final testing and also by shaking the table where the structure stands to stimulate an earthquake.
B. We used the pins and paper clips to stabilize and provide framework for the structure. Since we cannot say that the straws itself, are that sturdy. We need paper clips to keep it upright.
C. The strongest parts are the foundation of the building itself and also the parts where we connected the straws.
D. Maybe the floors because we had very little amount of strings to work with.
E. We used the strings as the floor for 2 storeys of the building because our teacher didn't allow us to use paper clips and he did not advise it as well.
F. We used the pins to connect the straws and used to poke holes on the straws to be able to make it into a framework for our building.
G. We would probably put them as extra supports for the top part of our building because it doesn't have as much support as that of the lower storey.
