Entry 1: Today I picked my topic for my Capstone project. I chose to do it on Earthquake resistant buildings. I chose this because I just heard of an earthquake that had crumbled buildings in Europe. I also am considering architecture as a possible major when I go to college. I was also interested in learning how to make an building so that it would not be damaged in an earthquake. I wanted to have a project that I was interested in and that I would be able to do. Earthquake resistant buildings was a topic that fit both of these.
Entry 2: I did some research on my topic today. I found a few different ideas for my project. The first one was based on a gym that was damaged during an earthquake. The problem was the roof. It was too heavy and too stiff. After the earthquake it was found out that roofs needed to be light and flexible. I also found a house that the researchers at Stanford had made. It was on isolators that would allow it to move during an earthquake instead of shake and crumble. Lastly I heard of a building in San Francisco that can sway up to a foot from side to side on the top floor.
Entry 3: I found a picture of an earthquake proof tower design. I am going to use it and the house design from Stanford to make my models. I purchased my materials with my dad and we made the plans to start building them. Both of these designs should do well when I test them, because they are built in ways that will make it almost impossible to have damage occur to them in an earthquake. I also found the difference between earthquake resistant and earthquake proof. Earthquake resistant is when some damage can occur and earthquake proof is when there is no damage at all to the building.
Entry 4: I found a shake table design I can make that will allow me to test my designs after I build them. I went with my dad to buy the materials for it and we built the house design. We only have one of the house designs for now. We plan to make the other one in a couple days. The house looks really nice and like it will do well when we test it on the shake table. It moves on the base when it moves around and it went in the car, because we built it at my grandparents' house, and the house stayed perfectly on its base. It made me feel more confident about testing it later.
Entry 5: I built the shake table and it would not work so I tried another way I found and it just did not want to work to simulate an earthquake. So, I decided to keep it at one model of each method. I will be making the tower method in a couple of days. The first method for the shake table was really violent when it would shake. It was basically jumping instead of shaking. I decided it was too risky to put the building on it, because I would run the risk of the building falling off and breaking. That would ruin a design and it would not give me any idea of whether or not it would actually survive an earthquake. The second method would shake once then stop. That would not show me anything either. Because neither of these worked and I could not find any other ways that seemed like they would be taken seriously I decided not to test them.
Entry 6: I made the tower model today. It took longer than expected, because I had not bought enough of certain materials, so I made multiple trips to the store for them. I labeled parts of this one to make it easier to explain. I am getting ready for the video that I need to record for this. I am going over what each piece does and how everything works and how they would actually be in a real building, so I can explain them in the video. I am trying to make sure that I don't miss anything and that I get everything right when I explain it.
Entry 7: Today I did the video for the project. It was easy to record it. I just explained what each model is supposed to do. I explained how it was simulated in the models. I explained how they were supposed to work and what they would do in a full size building. I also explained what part of the model was what part of the actual building and how they would work. I am also preparing for the capstone presentation. I want to play the video but I am not sure when in the presentation to play it. I was thinking at the end, but I want to make sure I get to play it and that it does not go straight to questions. I am also preparing what I want to say. I am studying my topic so that I can answer any questions as well.
Entry 8: I did my capstone presentation to school administrators. I got really scared and forgot everything that I was going to say so I introduced my project and then showed my project and went straight to questions. I hope that since I was able to answer all the questions I did well. I also think the video helped me, because the video explained my project completely. I forgot to bring up the buisness part so I think that is another thing against me. I did my best though for completely going blank and being scared.