Global RelevanceMillions of people live in villages

located in or nearby mountains. Many of the dwellings are poorly constructed from flimsy materials. Earthquakes in these areas can trigger rockslides which often destroy these homes, resulting in casualties. A solution can be engineered to give these people a better chance of survival.

Global RelevanceMillions of people live in villages

located in or nearby mountains. Many of the dwellings are poorly constructed from flimsy materials. Earthquakes in these areas can trigger rockslides which often destroy these homes, resulting in casualties. A solution can be engineered to give these people a better chance of survival.

Challenge Work with a fellow student engineer to develop and build a solution that will protect a paper house from getting crushed by a simulated rockslide of three different particle sizes.

•Solution must be built only out of materials purchased from the teacher

•Solution must not exceed the budget

•No more than two walls of the house may collapse at any time

Challenge Work with a fellow student engineer to develop and build a solution that will protect a paper house from getting crushed by a simulated rockslide of three different particle sizes.

•Solution must be built only out of materials purchased from the teacher

•Solution must not exceed the budget

•No more than two walls of the house may collapse at any time

Activities along the way

•Research and evaluate various real-world solutions to landslides (on the internet)

•Bridge-building activity to investigate material strengths

•Read real-world articles about people affected by these catastrophes

•Brainstorm to generate multiple possible solutions

•Build model, test it, and redesign as needed

Activities along the way

•Research and evaluate various real-world solutions to landslides (on the internet)

•Bridge-building activity to investigate material strengths

•Read real-world articles about people affected by these catastrophes

•Brainstorm to generate multiple possible solutions

•Build model, test it, and redesign as needed

Rockslide RetrofittingRockslide RetrofittingPaul Schember

Norwood Middle School- 8th Grade SciencePaul Schember

Norwood Middle School- 8th Grade Science

Activity QuestionsThese are some of the questions you will find answers to along the way:

1.What is the problem?

2.What are different ways to solve this problem?

3.Which solution do we want to use?

4.Which materials will work best for this solution?

5.How should the materials be shaped, positioned and adhered to give the best results?

Activity QuestionsThese are some of the questions you will find answers to along the way:

1.What is the problem?

2.What are different ways to solve this problem?

3.Which solution do we want to use?

4.Which materials will work best for this solution?

5.How should the materials be shaped, positioned and adhered to give the best results?

Building MaterialsA variety of materials will be available for constructing your solution. All materials will be sized to the same scale as the house and property lot.

•Paper and cardstock panels

•Metal posts and spikes

•Wooden boards and beams

•Plastic pipes

•Cotton twine and rope

•Metal cable

•Glue

The prices of these materials will vary with the size and strength of the item

Building MaterialsA variety of materials will be available for constructing your solution. All materials will be sized to the same scale as the house and property lot.

•Paper and cardstock panels

•Metal posts and spikes

•Wooden boards and beams

•Plastic pipes

•Cotton twine and rope

•Metal cable

•Glue

The prices of these materials will vary with the size and strength of the item

How it worksStudents will use a small paper

house and a rigid foam block as the dwelling and property.

Property will be placed at the bottom of a four-foot ramp to simulate the mountainside.

Particles of three successive sizes will slide down the mountain against the house:

#1: Rice

#2: Pea gravel

#3: River stones

Each team’s engineered solution should protect the house from complete destruction by these three rockslides.

How it worksStudents will use a small paper

house and a rigid foam block as the dwelling and property.

Property will be placed at the bottom of a four-foot ramp to simulate the mountainside.

Particles of three successive sizes will slide down the mountain against the house:

#1: Rice

#2: Pea gravel

#3: River stones

Each team’s engineered solution should protect the house from complete destruction by these three rockslides.

CEEMS is supported by the National Science Foundation grant # 1102990. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, and/or recommendations are those of the investigators and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Engineering Teamwork A real-life solution to this problem would require the work of several types of engineers: Applied, Civil, Environmental, and Structural.