I need to build a "hurricane proof home" for science class!?

Question

Ok, it needs to be 2,000 cubic centimeter, it can be any shape. We have two sheets of construction paper, four straws a glue stick, and .6 m of cellefone tape to work with? Any structural ideas to get my group rolling?

Also, the hurricane will be a leaf blower!

Answer 1

problems/challenges, in order
1) fastening it to the 'ground' so it won't blow away
2) fastening to the straw - most glues wont stick
3) strength of wall and roof so it wont rip apart

Anchor:
You don't say what the 'ground' is. Let's hope that it is something like a thin piece of wood or corrugated cardboard. Use straws as anchors. Drill a hole in the 'ground' just big enough for straw to fit. fold 1/2' of the straw back and tape it to the straw so it cannot straighten. Now you have an anchor that cannot be pulled out.

Wall/ceiling strength:
Fold the wall and ceiling pieces like a kids fan. You are trying to simulate corrugated cardboard. All those folds add strength.

Attachments:
When you fasten pieces together, use folder material for the strength of the attachment. Use the glue and tape to hold the fold together, not to resist the wind.

Bracing:
Diagonal bracing adds great strength. Use strips of paper to form an X inside a square so that you walls do not deform.

Answer 2

You've picked some great building materials as what's used in real life isn't much stronger, in some cases than construction paper. Look up Coral Castle. It's said to be hurricane proof and has stood the test of time.

I believe the roof concrete and the living quarters are on the second story.

It's an interesting place to visit and wonder how he did it. If you build something like that, you won't have to worry about a hurricane, only the DMV and trying to condemn your property for a new highway.

Answer 3

Your house isn't going to move or anything... the wind will move around it... hopefully. Design something aerodynamic that the wind will move around.

Is your roof secure? Hurricane area building codes require extra precautions to secure roofs, since traditional ones are all too easy to blow off.

Are you down on a good foundation? In the south, hardly anyone has a basement, since the highest you get above sea level is about 50 feet, so that's not an option, but you do have the option of holding to the ground.

Look at hurricane area building codes for more ideas.

Answer 4

All of the scientific breakthroughs have helped millions in a physical way: antibiotics, cures for illnesses, better transport etc. There seems to be much more concrete evidence for the theory of evolution than saying a God of any religion created the world (fossils, geological work etc). The fact that there is life on this planet and no others we've come across kinda agrees with the idea of evolution, the Big Bang etc - the right conditions are needed for life, and those conditions come to be because of random bonding of elements & molecules to create life. Surely if there is a God of some sort, he/she wouldn't only have one planet in the entire universe populated - wouldn't that make us feel alone & isolated in such a big space? You said you didn't use the proof once, but I beg to differ: '1 example of a proof.' And how exactly is evolution 'nothing to do with chance'? Plants and animals evolve when cells divide with slight mutations, and if those mutations are beneficial, that plant/animal will be more likely to live longer and create more offspring to carry on that particular genetic makeup, and so on. It's actually YOU who doesn't understand the concept of evolution. (Trust me, I spent 3 days last week revising for my biology GCSE, and that includes cell division & genetics, so it's all fresh in my mind...)

Answer 5

build hurricane proof home science class

Answer 6

I don't know if it is possible with your materials, but "dome" structures are supposed to be great in high winds. Do an internet search for geodesic domes.

Answer 7

I suggest the location is more important than structure. Maybe the lee side of a mountain. You can not out force nature. But you can finness her.
Show your teacher the ability to use logic and reasoning. And adjust the postition and location of your house.

Answer 8

Why not make a sign that says "Welcome to Iowa"?

All houses are hurricane proof in Iowa.

Answer 9

HAHA dude that sucks i would probably make it as low and round shaped as possible, like the person above kinda said, to create the least wind resistance... i think thats the word

Answer 10

a low dome is your best bet.

If the rules allow it, glue the bootom edges of the dome to the ground. If anyone objects, tell them it represents the iron poles rooted into the bedrock of the real version.