WATERPROOF THE ROOF!
Engineers and geoscientists play an important part in protecting the public, including designing roofing materials to keep us safe and dry in our homes. The shape of our roofs also play a role in how they protect our living spaces from snow, rain and wind. Materials engineers need to think about properties of roofing materials like absorbency, durability, and cost. Civil engineers need to think about structural design of buildings and how to make sure that they are safe to live under.
YOUR MISSION:
Design a roof for a cardboard box that prevents the inside from getting wet when you pour water on it. The roof should maintain it’s structure throughout!
GUIDELINES:
Create a video showcasing the design and function of your waterproof roof. Tell us about what obstacles you faced when you began building and how you improved your design and overcame these obstacles. This shows us your design thinking skills.
Upload this video to YouTube and email the link to stem@apegnb.com with the subject line: waterproof roof. In the email include the link to the video, as well as your name, age, and school.
You should use objects you can find around the house to create your roof (some examples are below).
We recommend that you think about the different absorbency of different materials before building. Try pouring 2 cups of water over the top of your roof and make sure that your roof doesn’t collapse or leak.
EXAMPLE MATERIALS:
You can use these or any other types of paper and tape you find around your house to work with
- Cardboard
- Paper Towel
- Styrofoam
- Plastic bags
- Reuseable grocery bags
- Tape
- Scrap fabric