Tower Building

[aznscioly]

Anyone have any idea how this tower building works. I know the event info. But what will they use to weigh the bridge like the machine for applying pressure on the bridge? What is the weight the bridge must hold if u want a place for medal.

[andrewwski]

When tower was an event in C two or three years ago, it was a tower that had a predefined set of constraints (height, base size, etc.) that had to have the highest efficiency (and in the years before that it was tiered by weight as well). The loading block was placed on the top, a string or chain ran down the center of the tower through the bottom, and a bucket was suspended for loading sand. That was just from my observations though, I didn't actually do the event.

The rest of your post confuses me though, as you're talking about bridges. Assuming you mean towers, there's no answer as to how much it should hold. If it's tiered, that will be defined in the rules, which aren't out yet. Other than that, you'll have to have a higher efficiency than everyone else.

Towers were awesome though, when they broke they just shattered. Pieces flew everywhere.

[ncsolover]

Does any one know how to build a Wright Stuff plane? If so, please help me! I'm thinking about trying out for Mystery Architecture, Elevated Bridge, and Wright Stuff this upcoming year but I only have studied Mystery Architecture. Please Help!

[sachleen]

Does any one know how to build a Wright Stuff plane? If so, please help me! I'm thinking about trying out for Mystery Architecture, Elevated Bridge, and Wright Stuff this upcoming year but I only have studied Mystery Architecture. Please Help!

When you, or your coach gets the kit with all the stuff in it, it will have a blueprint of how all the pieces should go together and a nice stack of papers that tell you exactly how to put it together. Although.. I never really like it cus the instructions weren't always easy to understand..

[andrewwski]

Uh...isn't this thread about Tower?

[aznscioly]

Yeah I know and thnx for your advice Andrewski I meant towers not he bridge I think got that confused with something else. So basicall u have a bucket of sand as your weight for the tower?

[jander14indoor]

Does any one know how to build a Wright Stuff plane? If so, please help me! I'm thinking about trying out for Mystery Architecture, Elevated Bridge, and Wright Stuff this upcoming year but I only have studied Mystery Architecture. Please Help!

Lots of people on this list can help, but first, there are many hints and tips over in the archives over on the old list. Go explore there for a while. You'll need more specific questions to get real help.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[andrewwski]

Yeah I know and thnx for your advice Andrewski I meant towers not he bridge I think got that confused with something else. So basicall u have a bucket of sand as your weight for the tower?

That's how it used to be. That's how all of the bridge/boomilever/tower events have always been. Loading block with a bucket, then you load sand in until you reach the maximum load or it fails.

Here's a picture from the internet of what I mean:

[aznscioly]

Sorry Andrew I was off for a long time because I was busy with School work and Science Olympiad Regionals early preparations. Also I see that you have a string in the middle of your tower and you have something attached to it. Does it like put pressure by pulling the tower down? Also does gravity have a huge role in this weight pulling?

[andrewwski]

It's not my tower...I just found the picture off the internet. But towers that my team has built in the past have looked very similar to that.

The chain is supported by the plate that sits on the top of the tower. At the other end of the chain is a bucket. You hang the bucket a few inches off the ground, and start scooping sand into it. Thus, all the weight of the bucket and sand is supported by the tower.

So yeah...gravity has a huge role. It's the only force that's present.