Welcome to

Building Big


To travel to a location, click on the link below

 

You are about to take a virtual field trip to discover how buildings and other structures are built. You'll be exploring how architects and engineers work together to make these amazing structures.

The American Engineers' Council for Professional Development define Engineering as: "The creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property." http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1941Sci....94Q.456

Architecture is though of as "the art of designing and building structures that are usually lived in or used by people. It is one of the oldest art forms in history and it is always changing. Through architecture, we can see how people before us lived and worked. Unlike some of the fine arts such as painting, sculpture, and hand crafted arts, architecture is everywhere and it is designed to be used, enjoyed, and touched." http://www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/reference/lesson2.html

Explore various web pages to find information about skyscrapers, bridges, domes, dams, and tunnels. This information will be helpful when you conduct your experiments.

Once you have completed the field trip, please conduct and self-evaluate the experiments.

 * Remember to hit your browsers BACK button to return to this page *

 

 

Skyscraper

 

- noun:

(Architecture). a building of exceptional height completely supported by a framework, as of girders, from which the walls are suspended, as opposed to a building supported by load-bearing walls.

 

 

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Bridge

- noun:

a structure spanning and providing passage over a river, chasm, road, or the like.

 

 

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Dome

-noun:

(Architecture). a vault, having a circular plan and usually in the form of a portion of a sphere, so constructed as to exert an equal thrust in all directions.

 

 

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Dam

-noun:

a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, esp. one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river.

 

 

 

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Investigate four different types of dams -
http://simscience.org/cracks/
advanced/dam_types1.html

 

 

 


Aswan High Dam - River Nile, Egypt -
http://touregypt.net/highdam.htm

 


Parker Dam - Colorado River, US -
http://www.usbr.gov/LC/region/pao/
brochures/parker.html

 


Build a virtual dam -
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
resources/ngo/education/
geoguide/dams/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tunnel

-noun:

a passageway, as for trains or automobiles, through or under an obstruction, as a city, mountain, river, harbor, or the like.

 

 

 

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Challenges

Apply the knowledge gained through your investigations to solve a variety of problems. After each challenge, write a 3-4 paragraph summary in your journal of the problems encountered and your steps to solve them. Remember to follow the WriteTools! format in your writings.

 

 

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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/
bridge/challenge/index.html

 

 


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/
dome/challenge/index.html

 

 


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/
skyscraper/challenge/index.html

 


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/
dam/challenge/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/
tunnel/challenge/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experiments

Print each lab. Work with a partner. When finished, self-evaluate your work on your progress chart.

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