Rigidity Lab

One you have the acrylic rods, some rhombic faces and screws, try to build a framework from the images shown below

Test frameworks

Here are some questions to guide your explorations.

  1. Study the possible deformations of the framework without bracing any face. How does it move?
  2. Brace exactly one face of the framework and think about what other faces are affected by bracing that single face. Are you able to brace a second face and make more than two faces rigid?
  3. Brace as many faces as you think are necessary to make the framework rigid. Bracing every single face of the framework will do the trick but, are you able to make it rigid by bracing fewer faces?