Analogies: Eiffel Tower & the Femur

Eiffel Tower Femur

I) Background/ Basic Mechanisms: I) Background/ Basic Mechanisms:

Figure 1: Eiffel Tower Structure

Figure 2: Femoral Head of the Femur

- Eiffel tower is a 1,063 feet (324 m)

-Femur is the thigh bone
-It was designed by Gustave to optimize the
- It is the strongest and longest part of the
amount of iron to provide maximum strength.
human skeletal system.
-It was designed to withstand tension and
-It supports most of the varying forces
compression forces induced onto the tower by
transmitted onto the hip, which sometimes can
the environment (such as wind forces)
be more than 6 time one’s body weight.
- It consists of a femoral head, which is an off-
centered ball that fits into the hip socket.
- In the femur, especially the head, there are
many trabeculae (bone fibers).
-These bone fibers are crisscrossed in layers in a
specific order to take compression and tension.
II) Similarities

-Both are intricate designs that are able to support maximal amounts of forces using
little amounts of materials.

-Both have structures and support systems according to its varying load: (Struts and
braces in the Eiffel Tower; Trabeculae in the femur)

- Materials in the structures, both, crisscrossed and have different layers.

Figure 3: Struts and Bases of the Eiffel Figure 4: Trabeculae in the Femur

- In figure 5, the Femoral head can be seen as a bunch of inverted Eiffel Towers lined
up around its cortical bone. Hence, we can see that the mechanical properties are
similar.

Figure 5:Comparison between the Femoral head and the Eiffel Tower
III) Possible Design Concepts

-The Designed concepts from these analogies are…

(Conservation of materials, and the Strength of Structures)
-Below are trabeculae inspired building design examples:

Figure 6: The meshwork in the trabeculae towers is able to support buildings while providing an adequate amount of space
ratio.

Figure 6: Trabeculae tower

Analogical Reasoning:

Premise#1

The Eiffel tower was built using struts and braces to withstand the tension and
compression caused by the environment (ex. Wind forces).

Premise#2

The femur can support a great amount of tension and compression forces by its
trabeculae.

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Conclusion

Since the femur and the Eiffel tower are capable of withstanding great amounts
of compression and tension, struts and braces are like the trabeculae; hence, the
structure of the Eiffel Tower and the Femur are analogous.

Main Websites:

 http://www.discoveryofdesign.com/id13.html
 http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v4/n4/architects


Corresponding Websites:

 http://www.gla.ac.uk/ibls/US/fab/tutorial/generic/bone2.html
 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/gray/subjects/subject/59
 http://www.scia-online.com/eNews/en/eNewsOkt05_EN.html

Design Concept Ideas:

 http://www.evolo.us/architecture/trabeculae-re-imagining-the-office-
building/