The University of Sydney - Engineering Geology I (GEOL 1501)

Semester Two 2013 Major Assignment Group Project

Design & Construct an Earthquake Resistant Structure
A group consisting of you and several colleagues are required to design and construct a model of the
critical, above-ground, structural elements of a major building that will be sited in one of Sydneys many
suburbs. Your building will require an appropriate earthquake damage protection system or strategy depending
on the design requirements and characteristics and use of the building (e.g. public/private; critical
infrastructure, private residential, industrial, manufacturing). You will receive the commission by way of a
sealed envelope in week three. You may select your team during the first two weeks of semester and submit
their names to the course coordinator by email or in person at the beginning of sixth lecture (ie. 1pm,
Wednesday the 1st of August). Students who have not joined a group by this time will be assigned to a group
with the group selection being made by the unit of study coordinator according to (randomized) alphabetical
order (i.e. names will be drawn out of a hat).
Group progress will be assessed at two stages: STAGE A) week 8 Submission of preliminary report and
design sketch; and STAGE B) week 13 final report submission and model testing. Groups will be required to
include evidence of meetings, decisions and the project management decisions.
NOTE WELL: group members may be required to assess the quality of their own contribution, as well
as the quality of the contributions of all the other group members, to the whole project in a secret
ballot. Individual marks for the project may be altered to reflect the group opinion of an individuals
performance.
Stage A (Assessable Deliverables)
Groups will provide a brief progress report (around 3 pages plus maps and sketches) in week eight that
provides the following deliverables:
1) A sketch map of the location and description of the structure and a one-paragraph description of
the geological setting of the site;
2) Name and brief description of a foundation system that would be appropriate for use in the
structure at that site; the choice of foundation system should be justified or otherwise explained.
3) A List of the specific geotechnical problems that could be reasonably expected to present during
construction of the building
4) A short description of the severity and nature of the ground-shaking that could be expected from a
moderate to strong earthquake affecting the site (let us assume a Richter magnitude 6 event
would cause unamplified ground accelerations of approximately 0.2g).
5) A preliminary sketch of the structure and its foundation system
One task that the group should undertake is the assignment of responsibility to for each of the first four specific
deliverables individual members (or pairs) and that the group collaborate on the preliminary structural sketch.
The names of individuals (or pairs) who have been assigned a task (or tasks) should be indicated.
Stage B (Assessable Deliverables)
Groups will provide:
I) a report (Less than ten pages including sketches) in week eleven or twelve that provides the following
deliverables:
1) An overview of the project, a description of the structure and a photograph of their model;
2) A map of the location of the site showing the local geology and two perpendicular geological crosssections of the site indicating the location of the structures below-ground details and
characteristics in relation to the site geology;
3) A description of the geological setting of the site and the geological materials present at the site;
4) A description and sketch of the foundation system to be used for the structure
5) A description of the specific geotechnical problems that could be reasonably expected to present
during construction of the building; and a description or sketch of the construction techniques or
strategies used to overcome these.
6) A prediction and description of the severity and nature of the ground-shaking that could be
expected from a moderate to strong earthquake affecting their particular site.
II) a model of the above-ground elements of the structure which will be tested to failure on a shake-table

Shake Table Testing

The constructed model will be tested (hopefully to failure) for earthquake resistance on a Dodgy-Brothers
shake table after being subjected to a brief examination and an arbitrary cost-benefit analysis (Note that no
discussions with the adjudicator/s will be entered into). Remember that the geological site conditions will be
critical in determining some of the design requirements and the severity of the shaking your structure will be
expected to withstand. The structure may be expected to bear progressively increasing loads at some point in
the test particularly if it refuses to collapse in the trial earthquake/s.
Note that:
a) The structure will be constructed using thin pasta (spaghetti, linguini, lasagne sheets, etc.,), thin
cardboard, paper and PVA glue., glue and/or balsa wood (x-section diameter < 2mm, sheets < 1 mm
2
thick and < 50 cm in area). No laminates of any kind; No composite structural members, beams,
pillars, etc. No more than five members in contact at a joint.
b) The structure should be attached to a base comprised of a 30cm by 30cm piece of thick cardboard or
5mm plywood and should be an appropriately scaled model (1:50, 1:100, 1:200 etc.) of the structure
assigned to you.
c) Structures (ie. the structural frames) should be highly simplified versions of the real thing and should
therefore provide the same sense of access and use-ability as actual buildings. Structures may be
awarded an initial point score according to a simple height/weight formula (i.e. lower weight gets you
more points) that will be modified according to the structures performance in simulated earthquakes
AND the findings of the cost benefit analysis.
d) Factors considered in the cost-benefit analysis will include: expected site behaviour, the postearthquake requirements of the building, reinforcing or earthquake protection strategies used,
structural elegance and apparent cost of construction relative to the functional requirements of the
structure. Proof of the total cost of the structure may be required.
e) Under-reinforced and overly-reinforced structures will be penalised (low grading);
f)

Innovative, cost-effective, earthquake-induced shake damping systems will be rewarded.

PRIZES
There may be a prize (and bonus marks) for the winning entry in each building category
(categories are yet to be determined by the course coordinator).
There will also be general acclamation and recognition for the most spectacular structural collapse. This will be
determined by popular opinion on the day of destructive testing.