Use of cookies

We use cookies to improve and analyse your browsing experience on our web. You can accept these cookies, reject them or choose your settings by clicking on the corresponding buttons. Please note that rejecting cookies may affect your browsing experience. For more information you can consult our Cookies policy.

Configure cookies

Cookies are an essential part of how our web works. The main goal of cookies is to make your browsing experience more comfortable and efficient and to improve our services and the web itself.
Here you can find all the information about the cookies we use and you can activate and/or deactivate them according to your preferences, except for those cookies that are strictly necessary for the operation of the web. Blocking some cookies may affect your experience on the web and how the site works. For more information you can visit our Cookie Policy.

Strictly necessary (technical) cookies

These Cookies are necessary for the web to function and cannot be disabled on our systems. They are generally only set up in response to actions you may take such as requesting services, setting your privacy preferences, logging in or completing forms. You can set your browser to block or warn you about these cookies, but some parts of the web will not work. Information about Cookies.

Analytical cookies

These Cookies allow us to count the number of visits and traffic sources so that we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to find out which pages are the most popular and least popular, and to see how visitors move around the web. All information collected by these Cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these Cookies we will not know when you visited our web. Information about Cookies.

Third party cookies

These cookies are used to analyse your activity in order to show you personalised advertisements. Information about Cookies.

Accept Decline Configure cookies Confirm selected

tester
Search
×
Notes
Search
There are no notes
  • Man-made structures > Structures
  • To customise Pencil press Alt + Down Arrow
  • To customise Highlighter press Alt + Down Arrow

    Change theme

    Error - please check your internet connection...
    Back

    Blink Help

    x
    Error - please check your internet connection...

    How can we help you?

    No results

    View full manual

    Couldn't find what you were looking for?

    Please describe the issue you are experiencing and provide as many details as possible. Let us know the book, class, access device, licence code, username, used browser or if it occcurs in our app:

    Thickness:
    Font size:
    Filter
      No resources found
      Revision mode

      Revision mode

      Eraser
      Rich text editor
      Editor toolbarsBasic Styles Bold Italic Underline Strikethrough Transform Text Switcher Text Color Background Color Subscript SuperscriptParagraph Insert/Remove Numbered List Insert/Remove Bulleted List Decrease Indent Increase IndentLine spacingLine spacingparagraph2 Align Left Center Align Right JustifyInsert Link Table Attach file Insert Special CharacterStylesFontFontSizeSize

      Press ALT 0 for help
      Back to top
      close
      • AA

      0º Secondary Education Year 2

      Technology, Programming and Robotics 2 ESO DIGITAL

      • Resources
      • This is your book
      • Structures
      • Mechanisms
      • 3D design and printing
      • Electronic systems and robots
      • Communication technology
      • The Internet and web pages
      • Guided projects
      • Structures
      • Mechanisms
      • 3D design and printing
      • Electronic systems and robots
      • Communication technology
      • The Internet and web pages
      • Guided projects
      • Introduction
      • Credits
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      • Introduction
      • FINAL TASK
      • Structures
      • Forces and loads
      • Stress
      • Man-made structures
      • Structural conditions
      • Structural elements
      • Mechanisms
      • Analysis of structures
      • Structure simulator
      • Procedures
      • CONSOLIDATION
      • STUDY TECHNIQUES
      • FINISHING THE FINAL TASK
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      • Introduction
      • FINAL TASK
      • What is a mechanism?
      • Linear transmission of motion
      • Rotary transmission
      • Transformation of motion
      • Mechanisms that control motion
      • Energy accumulation mechanisms
      • Couplings and clutches
      • Bearings
      • Freewheel
      • PROCEDURES
      • PROCEDURES
      • MECHANISM SIMULATOR
      • ANALYSIS OF MECHANISMS
      • CONSOLIDATION
      • STUDY TECHNIQUES
      • FINISHING THE FINAL TASK
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      • Introduction
      • FINAL TASK
      • ANALYSIS OF EVERYDAY OBJECTS
      • DESIGNING A SOLUTION
      • 3D PRINTING
      • DRAWING 3D OBJECTS
      • Consolidation
      • STUDY SKILLS
      • FINISHING THE FINAL TASK
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      • Introduction
      • FINAL TASK
      • ELECTRICITY: FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
      • ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS
      • DIGITAL ELECTRONICS
      • BASIC PROGRAMMING
      • ROBOTICS
      • COMPUTER APPLICATIONS
      • PROCEDURES
      • PROCEDURES
      • Consolidation
      • STUDY SKILLS
      • FINISHING THE FINAL TASK
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      • Introduction
      • FINAL TASK
      • COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
      • TYPES OF SIGNALS
      • CABLE TRANSMISSION
      • WIRELESS TRANSMISSION
      • TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE
      • RADIO
      • TELEVISION
      • SATELLITES AND POSITIONING SYSTEMS
      • THE EFFECTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
      • RESPONSIBLE USE OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
      • PROCEDURES
      • Consolidation
      • STUDY SKILLS
      • FINISHING THE FINAL TASK
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      • Introduction
      • FINAL TASK
      • HOW THE INTERNET WORKS
      • INTERNET SECURITY
      • INTERNET SERVICES, APPLICATIONS AND INNOVATIONS
      • DESIGNING WEB PAGES IN HTML
      • CASCADING STYLE SHEETS (CSS)
      • HOSTING OR USING A SERVER
      • USING AJAX FOR MORE EFFICIENT BROWSING
      • USING A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) TO DESIGN WEB PAGES
      • CONSOLIDATION
      • STUDY SKILLS
      • FINISHING THE FINAL TASK
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      • Introduction
      • Design and construction of a drawbridge
      • Design and build an automatic garage door
      • Actividades
      • Teacher’s book
      Your notes
      Favourites
        results

          No results were found for your search

          • Favourites
          • Messages
          • Grades
          • Portfolio
          • Settings
          • A
            A
          Structures

          4. Man-made structures

          Talking book

          Over time, human beings have become better at building structures. We know more about them and we have lighter and stronger materials.

          4.1. Massive structures and lintels

          Talking book

          The first man-made structures were carved from rock or were built by stacking rocks or other materials. This left little space between them, like in the Mayan or Egyptian pyramids.

          Short stone or wooden lintels were also used to make windows and open spaces, for example, in Greek temples.

          4.2. Vaulted structures

          Talking book

          With arches and vaults, builders could cover larger spaces and have bigger gaps in the structures.

          Vaulted structures are formed by arches and vaults using stones that are cut in such a way that the only stress they support is compression – no problem for hard stone.

          The Romans used round arches to build bridges and aqueducts and they used barrel vaults and domes to cover basilicas and pantheons. Later, pointed arches and ribbed vaults were used in mosques and cathedrals. We still use them today.

          4.3. Triangular structures

          Talking book

          These structures are made from bars, normally metal or wooden. The use of triangular shapes means they are not easily deformed. This makes them ideal for building bridges (triangular beams), covered with large trusses and vertical structures, like towers and scaffolds.

          4.4. Suspended structures

          Talking book

          This type of structure uses cables, called suspenders which the structure hangs from. When they can be adjusted, they are called tension members.
          The cables only bear traction stress, but the advantage is that they can adapt their shape to different loads at different times and they are incredibly light.
          Cables are used to fasten bridges, marquees, antennas and towers.

          There are many kinds of suspended structures which can cover large spaces like stadiums and pavilions, without the need for columns or pillars.

          4.5. Reinforced concrete structures

          Talking book

          Concrete led to major advances in construction because it could be made into any shape. Concrete resists compression and with steel rebar frameworks it can also bear traction.

          image

          It is a very strong material which is used in all types of building, mostly in framework structures like your school:

          • Under the floor you are on there is a horizontal structure called slabs, which consist of small beams called joists and material in between them (ceramic blocks, bricks or polystyrene).
          • The slabs transfer your weight to the beams (made of concrete and steel rebar) and then to the columns (vertical supports).
          • The columns don't sit directly on the ground because they would sink. Between the columns and the ground are the foundations, which spreads out the weight of the building and its load.
          • Reinforced concrete can be used to build huge arches, bridge piers, plates and roofs, as well as pillars and beams in structures.

          4.6. Laminated structures

          Talking book

          These are formed by laminates of metal, plastic or composite material like reinforced concrete. Their curved shape and folds give them their strength.

          • The curved shape makes the laminates bear the stress of traction and compression on their surface.
          • The folds and ribs give rigidity in exact points. So, for example, the rim on a plastic cup prevents the cup from deforming when we drink and the grooves on the side make it stronger when we hold it.

          4.7. Pneumatic structures

          Talking book

          Pneumatic structures are light and easy to transport, set up and dismantle. For this reason, we use them in constructions like field hospitals or funfair attractions for children. These structures use compressed air inside them. When they expand, they stretch the outer plastic surface. This makes them stay upright.

           

          4.8. Spatial and geodesic

          Talking book

          These are three-dimensional structures of bars, which combine the properties of vaults with triangulated structures to create curved shapes and cover large spaces.

          They consist of linear bars and nodes that connect them. They use triangles and tetrahedrons, the three-dimensional equivalent of triangles, because these shapes cannot be easily deformed.

          Weblink 2. Temple of Debod
          Weblink 3. Roman Coliseum
          Weblink 4. the Eiffel Tower

           

          image
          Animation 2. Types of structures

           

          1

          Activity 13
          Look at the photos:

          2

          Activity 14
          Find different types of arches in vaulted structures on the Internet and in books about art and architecture and draw them, illustrating the different types of stress they experience. What kinds are they?

          3

          Activity 15
          Identify what material was used to build the Eiffel Tower. Find out which material we use nowadays for these kinds of structures and list the advantages and choose your answer.

          4

          Activity 16
          Look at the different types of trusses. Which ones would be better for a bridge? And for a roof?

          5

          Activity 17
          Look at the bridges and explain how they transfer loads through the various structural elements which you can see in the photos.

          6

          Activity 18
          Listen and point to the different elements in the structure of this building.

          7

          Activity 19
          Experiment with laminated structures. Place a sheet of paper flat between two desks. Does it stay horizontal? Try again but, this time, bend the sheet of paper like in the structure in the photo. What happens? Why?

          8

          Activity 20
          Look at the photo. Can this type of structure bear bending?

          9

          Activity 21
          Look at the photo. How do the bars join the metal nodes? What kinds of stress are acting on these nodes?

          10

          Activity 22
          Many structures combine several of the ones we have seen. Examine the viaducts in the photos and say what structure types and materials are used in them. Can you find the relationship between the shape and the material of the parts and the types of stress they bear?

          11

          Activity 23
          Think about the materials that you could use for your bridge: thread, paper bars, wire, cardboard, balsa wood, etc. How and why will you use these materials for building different parts of the model?

          12

          Activity 24
          Think about the different types of structures we have looked at. What kind of bridge do you want to build for the unit project? Write it down and draw a sketch in your notebook.

           
           
          • Artificial structures are made by humans.
          • Structures can be: massive or lintels, vaulted, triangular, suspended, reinforced concrete, laminated, pneumatic, spatial and geodesic.

          Oxford Educación

          © Oxford University Press

          º

          Unit

            Unit

              Resources Unit

              Presentation

                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 13

                0/1

                Look at the photos:

                 

                a) What kind of stress do the stones in the pyramid bear?  .

                 

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                 

                0/1

                b) What is the purpose of the spaces between the lintels? Do they bear stress?

                • The stone blocks on the pyramids are compressed. As with the pillars on the bridge, the lintels are subjected to compression and their purpose is to make the structure less flexible.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • The stone blocks on the pyramids are compressed. As with the pillars on the bridge, the lintels are subjected to traction and their purpose is to interrupt the water flow under them.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • The stone blocks on the pyramids are compressed. As with the pillars on the bridge, the lintels are subjected to bending and their purpose is to let water pass under them.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 14

                0/1

                Find different types of arches in vaulted structures on the Internet and in books about art and architecture and draw them, illustrating the different types of stress they experience. What kinds are they?

                 

                • Traction

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • Compression

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • Bending

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                t3-multimedia

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 15

                0/1

                Identify what material was used to build the Eiffel Tower. Find out which material we use nowadays for these kinds of structures and list the advantages and choose your answer.

                • The Eiffel Tower was built using an iron alloy called cast iron. Nowadays this type of structure is made from steel, whose main advantage is that it can be welded.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • The Eiffel Tower was built using steel. Nowadays this type of structure is made from cast iron, whose main advantage is that it can be welded.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • The Eiffel Tower was built using an iron alloy called cast iron. Nowadays this type of structure is made from steel, whose main advantage is that it can be welded.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                t4-multimedia

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 16

                0/1

                Look at the different types of trusses. Which ones would be better for a bridge? And for a roof?

                • Beams with a horizontal upper section are well-suited for building bridges and trusses are better for roofs due to their inclination.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • Beams with a horizontal upper section are well-suited for roofs and trusses are better for building bridges due to their resistance.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                t5-multimedia

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 17

                P

                Look at the bridges and explain how they transfer loads through the various structural elements which you can see in the photos.

                Editor toolbarsBasic Styles Bold Italic Underline Strikethrough Text Color Background ColorParagraph Insert/Remove Numbered List Insert/Remove Bulleted List Decrease Indent Increase Indentparagraph2 Align Left Center Align Right Justify TableClipboard/Undo Undo Redo Insert Horizontal LineInsert Attach file

                Press ALT 0 for help
                (0 words)
                t6-multimedia

                  1 attempt
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                 

                0/1

                For bridges of the same length, which bridge would have thicker cables? Why?

                • The cable suspenders must be thicker in the first case because the force which they support for a similar section of the deck is larger because of the slope.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • The cable suspenders must be thicker in the second case because the force which they support for a similar section of the deck is larger because of the slope.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • The cable suspenders must be thicker in the second case because the lintels are longerand are closer to each other.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 18

                P
                Listen and point to the different elements in the structure of this building.

                 

                Editor toolbarsBasic Styles Bold Italic Underline Strikethrough Text Color Background ColorParagraph Insert/Remove Numbered List Insert/Remove Bulleted List Decrease Indent Increase Indentparagraph2 Align Left Center Align Right Justify TableClipboard/Undo Undo Redo Insert Horizontal LineInsert Attach file

                Press ALT 0 for help
                (0 words)
                t8-multimedia

                  1 attempt
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 19

                0/1

                Experiment with laminated structures. Place a sheet of paper flat between two desks. Does it stay horizontal? Try again but, this time, bend the sheet of paper like in the structure in the photo. What happens? Why?

                • It demonstrates the resistance of a sheet of paper under compression stress, as well as the effectiveness of the folds and curved shapes in laminated structures. A sheet rolled up into a hollow tube or folded in four remains standing much worse because it loses resistance.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • It demonstrates the effectiveness of the folds and curved shapes in laminated structures. A sheet rolled up into a hollow tube or folded in four remains standing better than if completely flat because it takes on the shape of an arch or has an edge which can withstand the bending it experiences.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • It demonstrates the resistance of a sheet of paper under traction, as well as the effectiveness of thefolds and curved shapes in laminated structures. A sheet rolled up into a hollow tube or folded in four remains standing much worse because it adopts an arch shape or gets an edge in order to bear the bending stress.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 20

                0/1

                Look at the photo. Can this type of structure bear bending?

                • Yes, they can bear bending because they are totally rigid.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • No, they remain upright because of the balance between the compression of the air inside them and the traction of the outer membranes.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                • Yes, this type of structures are built for this purpose.

                • Correct answer
                  Wrong answer
                t10-multimedia

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 21

                0/1

                Look at the photo. How do the bars join the metal nodes? What kinds of stress are acting on these nodes?

                image
                Geodesic dome of the Oceanográfic in the
                Science Park in Valencia

                The nodes of this type of structure must be designed to withstand  when they are joined to the bars because these are the two types of stress which the bars put on them.

                Detail of the node of the geodesic structure
                Detail of the node of the geodesic structure

                  3 attempts
                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 22

                0/4

                Many structures combine several of the ones we have seen. Examine the viaducts in the photos and say what structure types and materials are used in them. Can you find the relationship between the shape and the material of the parts and the types of stress they bear?

                • The Madrid viaduct

                • The Hacho viaduct

                • Concrete, brick and stone

                • Steel

                • Used in parts subjected to compression.

                • Compressed vertical pillars made from brick subjected to compression and a triangular metal girder.

                • Used in parts which may be tractioned.

                • Concrete arch in which the load from above is distributed across vertical supports made of concrete. 

                t12-multimedia

                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 23

                0/3

                Think about the materials that you could use for your bridge: thread, paper bars, wire, cardboard, balsa wood, etc. How and why will you use these materials for building different parts of the model? 

                • Wire and thread

                • Paper and cardboard bars

                • Balsa wood

                • Easily breakable. You have to bear in mind its position (as is the case with cardboard) at the design stage. It always offers more resistance in the direction of its grain.

                • For many purposes. They must be sufficiently thick if they are going to be compressed.

                • Cables or bars which will be tractioned.

                Done
                Man-made structures
                Structures
                Without background sound
                Logo

                Activity 24

                P

                Think about the different types of structures we have looked at. What kind of bridge do you want to build for the unit project? Write it down and draw a sketch in your notebook.

                Editor toolbarsBasic Styles Bold Italic Underline Strikethrough Text Color Background ColorParagraph Insert/Remove Numbered List Insert/Remove Bulleted List Decrease Indent Increase Indentparagraph2 Align Left Center Align Right Justify TableClipboard/Undo Undo Redo Insert Horizontal LineInsert Attach file

                Press ALT 0 for help
                (0 words)

                  1 attempt
                Done