Related Links

  • Science Fair Project Guide

Project Summary

Difficulty  2  –  3 
Time required Very Short (a day or less)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues

Donate to Science Buddies


Internet Safety Tips
Get educated about online safety
with help from Symantec.

symantec.com/norton/familyresources

Objective

In this experiment you will design virtual bridges using different safety features and test them for stability during a virtual earthquake.

Introduction

Civil engineering is the application of engineering principles to build large structures like roads, dams, or bridges. Usually civil engineering projects are for the public good, and provide an essential function. For example, bridges provide an essential corridor for traffic in parts of the world where large bodies of water separate an urban area. These traffic corridors are essential for business, commerce, and tourism.

Golden Gate Bridge
The world famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to one of the most famous bridges in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge. But just south-east of the Golden Gate is another bridge which holds great importance for trade and industry, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which connects the east bay cities of Oakland, Emeryville, and Berkeley to the city of San Francisco. But the dark secret of the Bay Bridge is that it also connects two major fault zones in Northern California, the San Andreas and Hayward Faults. In 1989 the Loma Prieta Earthquake (6.9) caused major damage to the Bay Bridge.

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
This aerial photo shows the section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that collapsed during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

Now, many years later, the Oakland span of the Bay Bridge is being built with the latest seismic retrofit technology available. In this experiment you can investigate some of this technology and try your hand at designing the new Bay Bridge. You can choose your own designs and safety features before you test if your bridge can withstand an earthquake. How much shaking can your bridge design take?

Terms, Concepts and Questions to Start Background Research

To do this type of experiment you should know what the following terms mean. Have an adult help you search the Internet, or take you to your local library to find out more!

Questions

Bibliography

Materials and Equipment

Experimental Procedure

  1. Do your background research and be sure you understand the basic bridge designs and terms above.
  2. Go to the Bridge to Classroom: Engineering for Earthquakes website and read through the opening Introduction page. Click on the tabs for more earthquake and bridge-building information, and then click "Continue".
  3. This experiment has a lot of trials and design options, so you will want to keep a good record of your choices. The best tool for this science project is a well-kept notebook! Draw and record your choices in your lab notebook to save your data. You can also use a screen capture to save images of your choices on your computer as you proceed. Here is a sample data table to use for each design:

    List Bridge Type: List Safety Features:
    Span 1 - Steel Arch Shock Absorbers
    Span 2 - Suspension Shear Links
    Span 3 - Steel Arch  

  4. Click on the "Build Your Bridge" tab to begin your design experiments.
  5. Choose a type of bridge for each of the three segments of your new bridge. Place each segment by clicking on a bridge type and dragging it into place.
  6. Click on the "Add Safety Features" tab to add any safety features to reinforce your bridge design. Record your data, this can get complicated!
  7. Click on the "Test Your Bridge" tab to run the earthquake simulations. Choose BOTH a fault AND a magnitude from the list, then click the "Test It" button. The best strategy is to start by choosing the weakest earthquake and work your way up to higher magnitude earthquakes until your bridge design fails. Make a data table in your notebook to keep track of your successes and failures. Here is an example:

    Fault Magnitude Result
    Hayward 5.0 pass
    Hayward 6.0 pass
    Hayward 7.0 fail
    Hayward 8.0 fail
    San Andreas 5.0 pass
    San Andreas 6.0 pass
    San Andreas 7.0 pass
    San Andreas 8.0 fail

  8. If you like, you can print your bridge design by clicking on the "Print Bridge" tab at the top of the page when you are done.
  9. Now incorporate what you have learned into your next bridge design, can you make an improvement? Remember for each design to keep careful records in your notebook in case you need to repeat any of your experiments!
  10. Summarize your results in a table or graph. Which bridge designs worked the best? Are there any safety features which made the design more earthquake proof? What were the weakest and strongest designs?

Variations

Credits

Sara Agee, Ph.D., Science Buddies


Last edit date: 2009-04-29 22:30:00


Career Focus

science career image If you like this project, you might want to think about career opportunities in Civil Engineering.

If you turned on a faucet, used a bathroom, or visited a public space (like a road, a building, or a bridge) today, then you’ve used or visited a project that civil engineers helped to design and build. Civil engineers work to improve travel and commerce, provide people with safe drinking water and sanitation, and protect communities from earthquakes and floods. This important and ancient work is combined with a desire to make structures that are as beautiful and environmentally sound, as they are functional and cost-effective. Learn more about this career: Civil Engineers.




Join Science Buddies

Become a Science Buddies member! It's free! As a member you will be the first to receive our new and innovative project ideas, news about upcoming science competitions, science fair tips, and information on other science related initiatives.


Support Science Buddies

If this website has helped you, won't you consider a small gift so we may continue developing resources to help teachers and students?

 



 

Science Buddies gratefully acknowledges its Presenting Sponsor
 
It's free! As a member you will be the first to receive our new and innovative project ideas, news about upcoming science competitions, science fair tips, and information on other science related initiatives.


Science Fair Project Home      Our Sponsors      Partners      About Us      Volunteer      Donate      Contact Us      Research Grants & Outreach      Site Map

Science Fair Project Ideas      Science Fair Project Guide      Ask an Expert      Blog      Teacher Resources      Parent Resources      Student Resources      Science Careers     


Privacy Policy Science Buddies

Copyright © 2002-2009 Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of material from this website without written permission is strictly prohibited.
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Fair Use.