Column DesignMueller Park Junior High School

Objectives• The Student will:• Construct and test a column that the

teacher has designed.• Design, construct, and test a column that

the student will designed them self.• The designing of your column should be with

the idea that the column should support as much weight as possible, yet be the

lightweight.

Related Careers

• Architect: Someone that designs structures.

Related Careers

• Contractor: Someone that is in charge of having the structures built.

Related Careers

• Construction Worker: Someone that builds the structures.

Related Careers

• Engineer: Someone that decides on the material and methods to be used on the structures.

Related Careers

• Agriculture Engineer: Someone that studies the soil.

Related Careers

• Chemist: Someone that studies the action and reaction of chemicals

Key Terms and Definitions:• Lamination: The gluing of two or more pieces

together.

Key Terms and Definitions:

• Alloy: The melting of two or more kinds of metal together.

Key Terms and Definitions:

• Composite: A uniform material made up of two or more ingredients.

Key Terms and Definitions:

• Synthetic: Is a man made material (it does not happen naturally in nature).

Key Terms and Definitions:

• Plastic : A synthetic material made from coal and oil products.

Key Terms and Definitions:

• Compression Rating: The resistance to being compressed or crushed.

Wood

Wood:

• Comes in many forms. The use of glue has increased the versatility and straight of wood products.

Wood:

• Plywood: Is thin layers of wood laminated.

Wood:

• Particle board : Is a composite of saw dust and glue.

Wood:

• Wafer board (O.S.B.): Is a composite of wood chips and glue.

Wood:

• Laminated beams: Is many thin layers of wood laminated.

Metal:

• Are very different. Using alloys has increased the versatility and straight of metal

products.

Metal:

• Copper: Doesn’t rust (used in pipes and wires).

Metal:

• Iron : Strong, but rust fast and is very heavy.

Metal:

• Zinc: Doesn’t rust.

Metal:

• Steel: Very strong, slower rusting, and lighter.

Metal:

• Aluminum: Light weight, strong, expensive.

Plastic:• Is made from coal and oil products. Coal and

oil come from dead plants and animals.

Plastic:

• Plastic has become : Lightweight, heat-resistant, and tougher than many metals.

• Many of the new plastics composites have been developed that are 20 to 30 times stronger than the plastic alone would be.

Materials Needed:• Four sheets of copy paper (8 ½" X 11"), one of

the sheets will be the teachers design of a column.

• White glue.• Scissors.• A ruler (SI system).• A circle template.• A protractor.• A calculator.

Rules:• All shapes must be 3" tall and must be three

dimensional.

• The outside shape must be a 2" diameter circle.

• There can’t be a top or a bottom on any of the shapes.

• No Laminating shapes.

Rules:

• Do not use more glue than is needed.

• Only one sheet of paper maybe used to construct all of the shape to be used.

• Do not fill or coat the shapes with glue.

• Four Shapes Minimum.