Structural Design

Structural Design is a course offered every other year at Colegio Maya, alternating with Industrial Design. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of structural analysis and design for buildings, bridges, and other structures. It emphasizes the historical development of structural forms and the evolution of design knowledge, from Gothic cathedrals to long-span suspension bridges. Through design exercises, case studies, and load testing of models, students explore the behavior of various structural systems and elements.

Students start the course by designing and building a bridge using only popsicle sticks and string. Through this project, they learn how forces act in tension and compression, along with the fundamentals of the Design Process. Once the bridges are built, they load-test them to the point of failure. In many cases, the bridges are constructed so well that it becomes challenging to find enough weight to fully test their limits, and they must get creative.

After completing the bridge project, students tackle a series of additional challenges, such as shake towers and cranes. The year culminates with the construction of another bridge, but this time, they use CAD software and a laser cutter to design and build their projects, applying the skills they've developed throughout the course.

For the crane project, students were challenged to integrate a Lego EV3 brain, along with sensors and motors, to control and operate the crane. With the press of a button, the crane can rotate, raise and lower its boom, and lift a payload. Students also learned the different ways gears and pulleys can be used in order to allow heavy loads to be lifted.