KEY TAKEAWAYS
Progress Report
This page contains an outline of all the activities we have completed in these 10 weeks. It shows how far we have come as a team, and gives an insight into what we achieved together.
WEEK 1
During the first week of our Freshman Design Project, we made certain that we knew our assignment, constraints, and goals properly. We discussed each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to share responsibilities appropriately.
We also created a team equity charter in which we outlined our long-term aims, short-term objectives, individual commitments, and other concerns.
WEEK 2
In the second week, we worked on designing the mold for the boats. Our goal was to design a boat that could sail efficiently while also floats without issues. For a boat to float with maximum ease, the bottom of the boat should be as flat as possible. But with a completely flat bottom for the boat, it would be difficult for the boat to float. Our original design had a flat bottom in the center of the boat, then it curve up towards the walls. Our final design consisted of just a rounded bottom, resembling a semicircle.
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WEEK 3
Week 3 begins with an understanding of concrete behaviour and phase compositions. To learn more about tensile and compression strengths, we built concrete cylinders out of a cement-water mixture. We examined the results using the lab machinery and obtained graphs for the tensile and compression strengths, which helped us determine the optimum mix of cement, aggregates, and water to achieve the desired concrete qualities.
WEEK 4
In the 4th week, we worked on designing our molds.We decided to make our molds using 3D printing, and cardboard/Styrofoam. This is because we believed that 3D printing was the safest and most effective solution, and that the 3D printing material is durable and hard to deform. As our back-up plan, cardboard/Styrofoam was the best option because it was cheap and easy to manipulate into a mold that we could use.
WEEK 5
We had our midterm presentation in week 5 and had to choose a sustainable construction material. We chose adobe because it is made of earth and natural elements and produces no further environmental harm. We discussed the benefits of Adobe in terms of societal implications.properties of adobe can be influenced by various factors, including soil composition, preparation techniques, curing methods, and climate conditions. Proper design, construction, and maintenance practices are crucial to ensuring the durability and performance of adobe structures.
WEEK 6
In week 6, we worked on cementing the mold. The water-to-cement ratio used for the project was 0.26, and this was done by mixing 1000 grams of cement in a pan with about 260 grams of water. ​For our first cement boat, we used the 3D mold. We did this by first combining the two top molds and the two bottom molds with tape. Then we stacked our two molds on top of each other using wood and hot glue to make sure the molds were correctly spaced. ​For the second mold, we used tape to hold the two molds together.
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WEEK 7
In week 7, we worked on demolding our cement boats. This was done by using different handheld tools to break our cement boat free from our 3D printed molds. We faced extreme difficulty in removing the cement boat from the mold however. This was because of the high surface adhesion of cement material. However, by smoothening our cement mold using a file, we were able to combat this problem.
WEEK 8
Subsequently, in the week that followed, we worked on demolding our second boat. This boat was the one that had its mold crafted from cardboard paper. While this boat was easy to have its mold removed, the weight of the cement material deformed the cardboard mold. This in turn, caused a deformation of our cement boat. This prevented the boat from floating. However, Makayla made sure to scrape the excess weight off the boat and combated this isssue.
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WEEK 9
The main hurdle that we had to cross in the penultimate week of this project involved fixing the propellers for boat propulsion. A key requirement for this project was to create a boat that could propel without human contact. To do this, we floated idea as a team on the best ways to make this possible Eventually, we settled for battery driven propellers for our first boat and a wooden propeller made from paints sticks, rubber bands and poly-styrofoam. This made it possible for our boat to sail and made us ready for the boat design presentation during the week.
WEEK 10
We spent Week 10 as an assessment of the entire term. We did our final boat presentation and evaluated the performances of our structures. Our first boat, from our 3D mold, was able to sail a distance of 12 feet in 6 seconds. It had a mass of 486.7 grams and could contain about 225 grams of water. On the other hand, our second boat from the 3D printed mold was able to sail a distance of 12 feet in 8 seconds. It weighed 544 grams and could hold 275 grams of water.