Iron+and+Steel

Characteristics of Iron and Steel according to the interactive materials lab:

Cast iron is brittle, it snaps without warning when applied tension. On the other hand cast iron is strong in compression and it molds to any shape. That is why early arch bridges were made out of cast iron. Steel is stronger than any other material in tension and that is why the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge are made out of steel. It is also the hardest material to break when compressed, it is almost impossible to make it bend and break. That is why engineers choose steel beams and columns to support most skyscrapers. The only weakness of steel is that ir rusts and it loses strength in extremely high temperatures.

According to the videos:

What is corrugated iron? Corrugated Galvanised Iron (CGI) is a building material composed of sheets of hot-dip galvanised mild steel cold-rolled to have a linear corrugated pattern in them

Characteristics:

CGI is lightweight and easy to transport. It is also strong and resists corrosion.

Uses through history:

CGI was invented in the 1840s and was originally made from wrought iron. Because if its characteristics, CGI soon became a common construction material in rural areas in the United States and Australia. In Australia it also became (and remains) the most common roofing material and it is even used in urban areas but not as commonly as in rural areas

What does it take to be an iron worker? Iron workers have to be in good physical conditions and have great strength. Because this kind of work is frequently done at great heights, on narrow beams, agility, balance and good eye sight are essential. Individuals who choose this career shouldn't be afraid of heights or suffer fron dizziness.

Game Paragraph:

__Brick__ is a structural material used in many kinds of constructions. It has many characteristics. One of them is that when you apply __tension__ or when you try to stretch it, the brick breaks very easily. On the other hand, bricks are very strong __compression__ This is because tension is one of brick’s __weakness__ or flaw. There are a couple of bricklaying techniques, but most of them involve mortar because bricks can’t create a sturdy structure just by laying one brick on top of the other. They are basically held together by __mortar,__ which is a plastic mixture of cementitious materials, fine aggregate and water.