TOWERS B/C EVENT PRESENTATION
Robert Monetza rjmonetza@charter.net
Description and Event Parameters
 Design and build the most efficient Tower as specified
in the rules. In this context, “most efficient” means the
tower which scores the highest.
 Enter only one tower, built prior to the tournament
 MUST WEAR #2 EYE PROTECTION – YOU WILL
NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE WITHOUT IT!
 Event Supervisor will provide ALL testing apparatus
and assessment devices.
Construction Parameters
 Dimensional requirements mostly the same as
2011 rules:
 Span 20 sq. cm. test base opening, on any combination
of sides.
 May not be braced against edges of opening, 8.0 cm
diameter restriction in width above test base at 30.0
cm in B, 15.0 cm in C.
 Must support 5.0 cm sq. test block.
 Must be a single structure, constructed of wood and
glue.
 No limits on cross section dimensions or lamination by
students.
New this year:
 3.c: Minimum tower height is 40.0 cm. Towers shorter than
this, within the tolerance of measurement, will be second
tier with a construction violation.
 3.c: Tower heights between 40.0 cm and 70.0 cm inclusive
will be scored based on a modified height multiplier, (h-n),
where n =5 at Regionals, n=15 at States, and n=25 at
Nationals.
 3.c: Tower heights greater than 70.0 cm will count as 70.0
cm. No additional height will be recorded or scored.
 3.f: “Only the loading block supports the chain and
bucket.” That is, the chain must not gain any useful support
or restraint from direct contact with the tower.
Testing Apparatus:
 Basic testing devices and assessment devices are
unchanged from last year, and are provided by the
Event Supervisor.
 4.c: Eyebolt may be either ¼” dia or 5/16” dia. Be sure
there is room inside the tower for either size.
 4.c.i and 4.c.ii: These dimensions are given to provide
the teams with information about the clearance they
should provide within the tower, and to instruct the
Event Supervisor to provide appropriate testing
devices.
Competition:
 5.a: Once the team checks in and presents their tower at
the event, they may not change it in any way.
 5.e: There is nothing wrong with letting the team
disassemble the block, eyebolt, chain, etc. if they need to
do so to set up their tower.
 5.g: Teams must be allowed to stabilize the load as the sand
flows into the bucket. The Event Supervisor may determine
the safest way to do this, but some provision must be made.
Usually, the bucket self-stabilizes before half of the sand is
loaded.
 5.j: Definition of failure includes lateral support from test
base, and bucket touching the floor or anything else.
Scoring:
 6.a: Maximum load counted for score is 15.000 Kg.
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Minimum is the loading block: if the tower can’t carry the
loading block, then it was unable to be loaded.
6.b: Heights greater than 70.0 cm are counted as 70.0 cm.
Extra height is a waste of mass!
6.c: Efficiency for towers includes a multiplier derived from
the tower height, and varies with the level of competition.
6.d: Tiers, based on rules compliance. Note that a new tier
3 is defined as not meeting competition parameters. Tier
four is for towers which cannot be loaded.
6.e: Tie breakers are (first) lower tower mass and (second)
taller tower height.
One Clarification so far:
 Towers B/C (10/17/11): Add one line, "6.c.iv. The
tower height is measured to the highest tower point on
which the bottom of the loading block rests."
 Therefore, tower height is the load bearing height of
the tower, regardless of any extra vertical extensions
which may be attached to the Tower.
What about that new scoring?
 The height multiplier was introduced to provide more
opportunities for student innovation. Instead of a
single fixed minimum height, towers will earn varying
scores over the range of heights.
 The height of the tower is modified by deducting an
arbitrary constant which increases for higher levels of
competition. This creates a non-linear scoring
function and increases the bias for taller towers as the
constant increases.
 The scoring formula is: (h-n)L/m. n= 5 at Regional
tournaments, 15 at State tournaments, and 25 at
Nationals.
What were we thinking?
 For a given design, short towers are easier to build and more stable than
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tall towers.
For a given design, as towers get taller, they get heavier. It isn’t a strict
proportion, but it is generally true.
Tall, slender, light weight towers have more tendency to buckle and
bend.
Teams which successfully build taller towers generally will be more
experienced and more skilled. However, at a Regional level, relatively
less value is given to the extra height score. This tends to level the
playing field.
As “n” increases in the formula, shorter towers will earn relatively less
height score and taller towers will be favored. Teams may need to
redesign their towers to take advantage of the change in formula.
The ideal tower at one tournament may not be the ideal tower at
another, so teams should take a flexible approach to design and
construction. Teams will take a risk in their approach to tower height
design. That’s a new piece of strategy.
Scoring Examples:
 These examples show how some plausible combinations of tower
masses, heights, and capacities will score at each level of competition.
 Tower 1: mass = 10.32 g, height = 42.5 cm, load supported = 14.350 Kg
 Regional Score = 52.144
State Score = 38.239
National Score = 24.334
 Tower 2: mass = 17.81 g, height = 68.2 cm, load supported = 14.350 Kg
 Regional Score = 50.922 State Score = 42.865
National Score = 34.807
 Tower 3: mass = 14.91 g, height = 68.2 cm, load supported = 9.620 Kg
 Regional Score = 40.777 State Score = 34.325
National Score = 27.873
Scoresheet/
Checklist:
This Scoresheet/Checklist
form may be found at
www.soinc.org/tower_c
and
www.soinc.org/tower_b
Towers C
Team Number: C-_____
Science Olympiad 2012
Team Name: ________________________________________________
Student names: ____________________________________________________________________
Do Not Write Below This Line_______________________________________________________
Construction Parameters
1. Spans over center of Test Base Opening (from any combination of sides)
3.a
Y
N
2. Does not brace against edges of Test Base or extend below top of Test Base
3.b
Y
N
3. Loading Block is minimum 40.0 cm above Test Base
3.c
Y
N
4. Fits through 8.0 cm circle above 15.0 cm
3.d
Y
N
5. Constructed of wood and glue only
3.h
Y
N
6. Single structure without detachable pieces
3.g
Y
N
7. Chain and bucket supported only by Loading Block (not directly by Tower)
3.f
Y
N
8. Center of chain is within 2.5 cm of center of opening in Test Base
3.a
Y
N
9. Clearance to fit Loading Block and chain (N = tier 4)
4.c
Y
N
10. Tower supports mass of Loading Block (N = tier 4)
6.a
Y
N
Y
N
Testing Set Up
Other
11. No Competition Violations were committed (N = tier 3)
12. For Participation Points only: “P” (unsafe conditions, etc.)
For Disqualification: “DQ” (bad behavior, outside interference, etc.)
Notify team and their coach as soon as possible
General
Rules 4, 5;
Rule 5.a
Tower Measurements
13. Tower Mass (in grams)
14. Tower Height
__ __ __ . __ __ g
__ __ . __ cm
(Tower height measured to bottom of loading block, in cm, not more than 70.0 cm)
15. Load supported (in kg, not more than 15.000 kg)
16. Score: [S=Load*(Height-n)/Mass]
__ __ . __ __ __ Kg
__ __ __ . __ __ __
(n = 5 at Regional, 15 at State, 25 at Nationals) 1st tie breaker = lighter tower, 2nd tie breaker = taller tower)
Graphic Summary of Rules is
posted on
www.soinc.org/towers_b
and www.soinc.org/towers_c
General Principles about Structure Building:
Three key components:
Competent design, good material selection, and
quality workmanship. All of these are acquired through
practice and refinement. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
from knowledgeable parents and professionals. The kids
will learn from them.
Provide a clean, organized workplace. Keep food and other
distractions to a minimum. Kids should wash their hands.
Testing is destructive. Students will understand much more
about their structures by observing and analyzing
structural failures than they ever will from seeing unbroken
structures. Plan on building a lot of towers.
What happens at Competition?
 Check in, weigh in. As soon as the team presents their tower to the judges,
they may not alter or replace it or receive outside assistance.
 Judging. The judges will measure and assess the tower for compliance with
construction parameters.
 Set up. The team sets up their tower on the test stand. When they are ready the
judges will let them begin loading sand. Once the sand loading starts, they may
not adjust the set up any more.
 Loading. The team may load as fast or as slowly as they wish, and they may
steady the bucket as allowed by the Event Supervisor to prevent dynamic
loading of the tower.
 If the tower holds all of the sand without breaking, the team may
immediately remove the bucket. If the tower breaks during loading, the team
must immediately stop adding sand, and the Event Supervisor may remove any
sand which is judged to have been unfairly added after breaking. Breaking the
tower has no effect on the scoring tier of the tower, provided it holds the
loading block initially.
 The judges will inform the team how much mass their tower held
 Teams may take their tower with them unless there is a pending arbitration.