Name______________________

Shake-Proof

You have recently moved to San Francisco as an architect to design a new building.
Heres thecatch:thisbuildinghastowithstandanearthquakesinceSanFranciscoisonamajor
fault line that has not had an earthquake for many years and scientists predict that the next
one will be devastating.


Materials:

20 Marshmallows
20 Spaghetti Noodles

Requirements:

Your building must have at least 2 floors

Each floor must be at least 12 tall
Must withstand 10 seconds of intense shaking

Step 1: Design and Analyze

For this part of the project, you will need to come up with a project design. This will require
some research and for you to use your knowledge of earthquakes. You should draw out your
plan with labeled dimensions and parts. You should also include another page with analysis.
Analysis: This should be your reasoning for designing your building the way that you
chose. Why do you think this way will be superior to otherways?Whatevidencedoyouhave?
Make sure you include your knowledge of earthquakes!
Remember to think outside the box!

Step 2: Build

You should be referring back to your design when you build. This means measuring so that
your building matches what you did. If you choose tochangeyourdesignduringthebuild,you
must note this on the attached sheet with full reasoning.

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 Name______________________

Step 3: Shake Test

For this step, you will bring your design to the shake table and I will conduct ashaketest.Ifit
holds up, you will be successful. If it fails, you will need to re-evaluate your design and make
changes as necessary. You will only haveuntiltheendoftheclassperiodtomakeasuccessful
design.

Step 4: Evaluation

Now that you have tried to build a shake-proofbuilding,youneedtoevaluateyourexperience

as the architect. Use the worksheet on page 4 to do so. Then, use the back side (page 5) to
assess yourself in this project.

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 Name______________________

Design Changes

If you choose to change your design at any time during the building phase, you must list the
changes below and give your reasoning. If you use more than this sheet, please attach another
sheet of paper to the packet.

1. __________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3
 Name______________________

Project Evaluation

These questions should be answered independently, in complete sentences.

1. Was your design successful? If yes, why do you think it was? If not, what made it
unstable?

2. What was the most difficult part of creating a shake-proof building?

3. If you were a real architect doing this exact thing for a real life city, what would be
things you would be considering while making your designs? Name at least 4 things
you would consider.

4. What are the limitations of this demonstration?

4
 Name______________________

Project Assessment


Give yourself a rating on the following things, 1 being the worst, 5 being the best.


1. I gave 100% effort in this activity

1 2 3 4 5

2. I was a supportive team member

1 2 3 4 5

3. I contributed ideas to this activity

1 2 3 4 5

4. I valued others ideas and opinions

1 2 3 4 5

5. I followed all directions

1 2 3 4 5

6. Something I did really well:

7. Something I could improve on: