High School, Civil Engineering Science Projects (4 results)

Here's how.

Civil engineering is a field for problem solvers. From setting up water systems for drinking and irrigation to major transportation systems like highways, airports, subways, and railroads, civil engineers take on big challenges. In today's world, civil engineers also face big challenges: providing the modern infrastructure for a growing human population, and finding ways to do this that are environmentally sound, safe, and cost-effective. Experience what it is like, on a smaller scale, to tackle these problems.

Avoiding Disaster: The Right Bridge Design

Science Fair Project Idea

A bridge collapse, like that of the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge, can be a major disaster. Bridges that cannot hold enough weight to do their intended job can be a serious public safety issue. And if they collapse, they can also cause economic damage due to costly rebuilding and people and companies scrambling to figure out how to circumvent the months of traffic impacts. Figure 1. On August 1, 2007 the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapsed killing 13… Read more

The Design Process: Creating a Stronger Truss

Science Fair Project Idea

This is an interesting project that explores which geometrical shapes make the strongest bridge truss structures. It is a good introduction to the engineering design process. You'll design three different trusses, and use online simulation software to analyze the distribution of load-bearing forces in each design. Then you'll build and test prototypes of each design. Read more

Solid Ground? Measuring Soil Bearing Capacity

Science Fair Project Idea

Foundations for many types of structures rest on soil. This project shows how you can investigate the bearing capacity of different types of soil. Read more

Strength of Different Construction Materials

Science Fair Project Idea

There are many types of construction materials used for wood-frame houses. Compare the different uses for and strengths of different building materials, e.g.: particle board, plywood, pine, oriented strand board (OSB), and drywall (gypsum board, SheetRock). The Science Buddies Materials Science Resource Stress, Strength and Strain will be helpful for learning about different ways to measure material strength. You should be sure to use the same cross-sectional area of each material in order… Read more

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