Structural Engineering in Action
How earthquakes can make buildings resonate.
Helston Science
Duration: 2:39
Views: 154
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Structural Engineering in ActionThis is a film showing how earthquakes can make buildings resonate. We also show you how structural engineers try to prevent earthquake damage to buildings.
You can repeat the experiment yourself by gluing the buildings to a board and moving the board backwards and forwards by hand.
Ah, the Open University. Those of us of a certain age remember when ‘video in the classroom’ either meant watching something as it was broadcast (for which the whole class had to decamp into a special room, where The Television was kept), or — a few years later — grainy recordings of incredibly dull professors wearing dreadful ties, performing tedious experiments that showed nothing much.
At first glance this is rather similar. But stick with it, there are a few subtle distinctions:
Firstly, it’s about twenty minutes shorter than the OU stuff used to be.
Secondly, the experiment is actually rather fun and graphic, and the presenter amply good enough.
And thirdly… thirdly, there’s this bit in the middle where something completely ridiculous happens, that cracks me up every time I watch it. Not so much for what it is, as that when it finishes there’s absolutely no reference to it at all. None. Which is something approaching comedy gold.
Terrific film — one of my favourites.
— Jonathan.
I find it slightly worrying that it took the guy that long to find Japan on a globe (why would you even THINK it was in the southern hemisphere?)
A japanese guy, 27 Mar 2008
What fun - shame you couldn't have waited a few months to video a real earthquake in the classroom!
Increasing the stiffness of the building (by adding the shear walls) increases the resonant frequency.
Engineers can use the same science backwards - to measure stiffness by measuring resonant frequency. This is done when monitoring large structures like bridges, and also to measure materials like concrete and timber. If you want to find out more, we've put a short video about that online here.
In this case instead of transverse vibration, it's longitudinal.
firrs, 14 Mar 2008
i think that it is quite good but there are some problems with the theory. there is also quite a large lack of presentation skill from the presenter, though.
galen troup, 08 Feb 2008
Hmm, a pretty good physics vid, quite a nice machine doing the oscillations. and I like the kids swaying about in the middle of the film. the presenter needs a bit more oompphhh though.
overall: very good
Roger, 15 Jan 2008