Q5.19: In the rules they do not say anything about the minimum area of the atrium, could you tell me what is the minimum area of the atrium
A: There is a 6 in. x 6. in non-buildable area for floors 1-7. This minimum atrium space is described in Section 5.6.d of the Official Rules.
Q5.18: In the rules it states: “Additionally, the architect specified that there should be no bulky columns so that the building can maintain an airy look”. What is meant by a “bulky column”? The use of “bulky columns” would still be allowed right, it’s just not preferred?
A: The term “bulky columns” in the problem statement generally refers to bundle columns, where vertical frame members are spaced very close together to increase overall column dimensions. The bolded sentence in Section 5.2.a of the Official Rules imposes a minimum spacing of vertical frame members, essentially disallowing the use of bundle columns consisting of […]
Q5.16: Do we have to assemble the structure there in Salt Lake or do we have to take it assembled?
A: We recommend taking the structure to the competition fully or almost fully assembled, but this is up to the discretion of the teams. Some teams will send their structure in easily assemblable modules that can be quickly constructed before the start of the competition while most teams will ship the structure in its final […]
Q5.17: Can the dimensions of the non buildable area in floors 1-7 be modified without crossing the 6×6 dimension?
A: Each floor of your structural model should fit within the buildable areas shown in Section 5.6.d of the Official Rules. It is at each team’s discretion to decide the exact dimensions for each floor, as long as the dimensions fit within these limits. Therefore, for floors 1-7, the exact dimensions can be adjusted as […]
Q5.14: What material would be used or required in the problem statement? And regarding the Structural part, if the number of floors is not the maximum, what would be the layout of the building?
A: All frame members and wall members shall be made of balsa wood. The maximum number of floors is 19 and the minimum number of floors is 13. Teams should make sure that their number of floors is within this range. Regardless of the number of floors that teams choose to have, each floor should […]