Explain your answers please. I was watching mythbusters and they bought a steel coffin over a wooden one because they thought it would hold more dirt. Now how come bridges that have been made of wood lasted way longer than steel bridges? Or rollercoasts for example.
steel bridges that have been made of wood lasted way longer than steel bridges NOT true. Why do you think bridges are made from steel or concrete, and not wood? wood rots and splinters and doesn't last more than 10 years when exposed to the weather. .
Back when I was in school we used to have a contest comparing balsa wood bridge designs. The idea was to build the strongest bridge when derated for bridge weight. The strength test was that the 2-ft long bridge was placed between two tables and a garbage can was strung up to the middle of it. Then it was slowly filled with water until the bridge snapped. The can was weighed and divided by the bridge weight to get our scores. I don't see why you couldn't do this to compare wood vs steel. You could find how much load is needed to snap sample rods. The important point is that the rods should be nearly identical in dimensions between the two materials-- this means length and diameter. Also if you're measuring steel, you'd want to choose a relatively thin diameter or a long span or you won't be able to even bend it. Also while I'm pretty sure wood will snap, steel might bend gradually, so you'd have to decide how much deformation you would allow before calling the piece failed. Also if you take this approach be sure to wear safety glasses when running it. In fact it would be a good idea to put a metal shroud around the test structure.
