ENGG1000: CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE (LE

BATIMENT DE PAPIER)
Objectives: The objective of this project is to introduce you to the profession of
Infrastructure Engineering through the studies of engineering design and
innovation, whilst maintaining context to the profession of Civil Engineering
and the role and practices of Engineers in practice. An important aspect in
contemporary design is that of sustainability; infrastructure lifecycle assessment
and cradle-to-cradle design are core concepts for a sustainable future. To this
end, a series of lectures on sustainable infrastructure development is integrated
into the key project lectures. Whilst taking on serious issues and reviewing the
role of Engineers within a societal context, the subject is also designed to be a
bit of fun!
Design Task: Students in groups will design and construct a structure to
withstand a simulated load that progressively removes supporting columns
located at the base of the structure. The design criterion is that Madame Oeuf
must be protected from the extreme loads outlined in your project brief.
The allowable materials for construction are balsa wood, cardboard, paper, sticky tape, glue and string.
Marks will be awarded based on construction and aesthetics as well as performance. Performance points will be
awarded based on the weight of the structure, including roofing materials, with the lightest structure to achieve the
design objective receiving full points. The design report will include sections on:

conceptual design and the design philosophy why the chosen design?
a demonstration of one statically determinate load path (in 2D or 3D) plus assessment indicating highly
loaded members or regions
a CAD drawing of the structure showing a plan, elevations and important details
the performance test results
an appraisal on the performance of the structure

Details of the project are given in Appendix A.

Project Lectures
You will be presented with a series of lectures that complement the project; the lectures are outlined in Table 1 and
presented in detail in the School course profile.

Table 1: Lecture template for Project 1

Project 1 Specific Lectures
Why things dont fall down!
Progressive collapse and robustness.
How to justify my design.

Recommended Reading:

Lectures in common with Projects 2 & 3

Teamwork
Sustainable design and construction technologies
and practices. Societal and environmental ethics
Engineering drawing (CAD).

Gordon, J.E. (2003). Structures: or why things dont fall down, Da Capo Press,
Cambridge, Mass., 395 pp.
Salvadori, M. (1980). Why buildings stand up: the strength of architecture, Norton,
New York, 323 pp.

APPENDIX A CVEN01 PROJECT

ENGG1000 - CVEN PROJECT 1

NOTICE TO DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTORS

Scope: Design and build a structure from balsa wood, cardboard, paper, sticky tape, glue and string. The
structure is to be both robust and aesthetically pleasing.
Date of Completion: Scrutineering and Submission 2:00 3:00 pm Monday Week 11.
Testing 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm Monday Week 11.
Prequalification of Contractors: Contractors shall be teams who are undergraduate students enrolled in
ENGG1000 Design and Innovation at UNSW.
Instructions to Contractors (refer DRG 1/1):
1.

2.
3.
4.

Building materials for the structure are to consist solely of balsa wood, cardboard, paper, sticky
tape, glue and string. Other than at the connections, the structural members shall receive no special
treatments or coatings.
The roof may be constructed from or any material allowed in 1.
The lightest structure that successfully carries the design loads wins.
The structure must protect Madame Oeuf from the prescribed design loads and conditions.

Design Criteria:
Your structure is to protect Madame Oeuf from impending disaster caused by vehicular impact and
progressive collapse or seismic overload (as appropriate). The minimum design load conditions are:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

5 kg dead load applied at the roof level centred above Madame Oeuf; plus
Either vehicular impact load caused by the negligent driving of Pierre de Vitesse, or simulated
Northridge (1994) and Cape Mendocino Earthquake (1992), as appropriate; plus
Damage to a minimum of 25 per cent of ground level columns, with the damage emanating from
one corner of the structure; and
Your structure, excluding Madame Oeuf, is NOT to exceed a total mass of 400 grams.

Testing:
Contractors shall arrive at the site at the appointed time with completed structures. Before testing your
structure a project form must be completed and handed to the client or their representative.
Performance Criteria:
Points will be awarded as follows:
a. Design, construction and artistic appearance up to70 (seventy) points.
b. For the lightest structure that successfully carries the design loads 30 (thirty) points; for the
heaviest structure that carries the design loads 10 (ten) points - with a linear scaling between.

300 mm

5 kg

150 mm (min)

500 mm (min)

14 Mar 2016

SJF Rev 0

DWG

Dimension Sheet 1/1

Le Btiment de Papier

CHK.

UNSW School of Civil and Env. Eng.

Base

300 mm

300 mm