Roll &Rock – Structures Contest 99
Third Structures Contest 99
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
A Roller Coaster Rocking Adventure
GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS BOOKLET
This booklet contains the guidelines and regulations that will govern the Contest. Minor modifications can be made until the day of the contest.
A Registration Form is also included with this booklet.
Additional copies of this booklet and registration forms are available at the CEE Department.
This information is also available on-line on the FEA web site:
www.aub.edu.lb/fea/insidefea/events
Updates and additional information will be provided on-line and will be mailed to your e-mail address, which you should provide on the Registration Form.
Contact Prof. Mounir Mabsout for further information (Office 511, ).
ROLL & ROCK
A Roller Coaster Rocking Adventure
If you have any questions on the guidelines and regulations, or if you have any doubts on whether your structural model/components satisfy the requirements, check with Prof. Mabsout (Office 511, )
Purpose: Building a model of a roller coaster with complete freedom in choosing the material of which it is made. The model will be judged for its creativity/complexity/originality, soundness, efficiency, and resistance to vibration. A poster describing the project is also required.
Participants: Contest is open to all CEE undergraduate students, in groups of three to six contestants. Groups can be formed from various classes (1st year to 4th year). The names of the participants (including the class) in a group and a label for the group should be submitted to the CEE Department by the end of April 99.
Description: • Actual Roller Coaster:
50 m x 50 m base, 50 to 75 m maximum elevation.
• Roller Coaster Model:
Base plate dimensions: 1.0 m x 1.0 m x 16 mm (plate is provided).
Roller coaster trajectory can go beyond the 1.0 m by 1.0 m base.
Maximum high point: 1.5 m.
Minimum high point: 1.0 m.
Trajectory length: 6.0 m minimum.
Trajectory width: 6 to 10 cm.
Weight of rolling body or car: 1 Kg minimum.
Weight of model: 8 Kg maximum (excluding car and base plate).
Material: Free: The model can be made of any material or combination of materials.
Joints: Joints should be “hand-made” of any material or combination of materials. No glue/cementing material or welding is allowed.
Supports: Contestants can support the model in any way they like. The supports should be fixed to a base plate.
Base Plate: A standard wooden plate should serve as a base/foundation to the model. The supports of the roller coaster should be fixed to the plate as discussed in the section on Joints (i.e. no glue, cementing, or welding). The plate dimensions are 1.0 m x 1.0 m with 16 mm thickness. The plate will have 5 holes which will serve to fix it on the shaking table by means of nuts and bolts. Make sure to provide a clearance of 4 cm above the holes for the bolts, and to allow for clearance for tying the nuts on the bolts during the Rocking test.
The plate will be provided by the Department upon registration for the contest (cost is $11 or LL17,000 payable at the CEE Department).
Rolling Car: The rolling body or car/series of cars can be “hand-made” or “ready-made”. The car should travel along the trajectory through a “rail” (or similar) system that you should design, i.e. it should not be freely rolling on the coaster without being attached to it.
Landing: A proper landing at base level should be designed to smoothly stop the rolling car. The landing at the base should be properly located with respect to the rolling starting point, as it should be kept in mind that an “automatic” system should lift the car from landing base to starting point (design of lift system is not required, but should be shown/sketched in the Poster).
Rolling Test: The coasters will be tested 5 times for rolling to check whether the car can roll continuously throughout the trajectory and reach its landing smoothly. Cars are expected to safely (no breakage in the system) and fully traverse the trajectory; therefore, no grades will be assigned to this test. However, cars which will not pass the rolling test will be penalized (see Penalty Section below).
Rocking Test: The models will be tested for shaking/rocking without the presence of the car to simulate a long-term vibration process (due to a substantial amount of rolling). A shaking table will be provided for this purpose, where frequency and duration of vibration can be controlled.
The coasters will then be tested for rolling again.
The processes of rolling and rocking may be repeated several times.
The shaking table will be available in the Materials Lab. for your convenience. Coordinate with Mr. Helmi El-Khatib when you need it.
Poster: The model should be outlined in one poster in which you should give a brief description of the model highlighting its main features. You can also include descriptive figures or pictures of the model and its making.
Grading: The grading of the contest is set as follows:
• Aesthetics 10 %
• Creativity/complexity in trajectory and landing soundness 15 %
• Originality of structural system and choice of material 15 %
• Poster presentation 5 %
• Structural efficiency = trajectory length/coaster weight[1] 25 %
• Rocking test[2] 30 %
Total 100 %
The grading system may be subject to fine-tuning; modifications should however be minor so as not affect the concept that you are working on.
Penalties: Models which do not satisfy the requirements described in this booklet will be penalized (dimensions, weights, use of improper joints, etc.). Cars which cannot pass the rolling/landing test will also be penalized[3].
References: You can check for references in the FEA library. You can look up the Architecture selections dealing with amusement parks in general, or with specific parks such as Disney Land/World, etc. You may want also to search for the above on the Internet.
A visit to the amusement parks in Lebanon may not be a bad idea, though the roller coasters available locally are limited in size and features.
Eng’g Labs
and Shops: Support can be provided by the FEA Civil Labs and Shops. Coordinate with Mr. Hemi El-Khatib (Labs) and Mr. Joseph Nassif (Shops) to make sure that no classes are scheduled when you need the facilities or the support of the Labs/Shops personnel.
Prizes: Prizes will be given to the first three winner groups ($300, $200, and $100). The prizes have been provided by the FEA.
Special certificates will be given to winners of specific tests.
Contest Date
and Location A reception will be held on June 4, 1999, at 2:30 PM at the Basket-Ball covered court where models will be displayed and tested. FEA Faculty will serve as a panel of judges in the evaluation process.
Models should be brought at 11:00 PM at the latest so that a preliminary evaluation will be made before the Contest reception to record and check the specifications/requirements for each model.
Refreshments and cookies will be served.
Third Structures Contest 99
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
A Roller Coaster Rocking Adventure
REGISTRATION FORM
Fill and submit to CEE Department
NAME OF GROUP:
E-MAIL ADDRESS(ES):
PARTICIPANTS (3 TO 6):
• Name: Class:
• Name: Class:
• Name: Class:
• Name: Class:
• Name: Class:
• Name: Class:
DATE:
AUB-FEA-CEE - 1 - 04/29/99
[1] The higher the structural efficiency, the better the grade. The best system(s) will be given the full grade of 25. The least efficient system(s) will be given a minimum grade of 5. A linear interpolation will be assumed in between.
[2] The Rocking test and its grading system are still under investigation. Updates will be provided.
[3] Penalties will be decided later. Updates will be provided.