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A structure is something which holds together without
falling apart or collapsing.
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Ventilation tower
for Blackwall tunnel.
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Milleninium Dome under
construction.
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When
we design and make anything, we have to make sure that it
will stay the shape we want it to be and to support the weight,
or load that we know it will have to take.
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We
can do this by understanding which shapes are strong,
understanding how materials behave and inderstanding forces
which push and pull on structures.
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Royal Victoria Dock
footbridge.
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Structures, tree
- natural
and crane - man-made.
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There
are structures which are natural such as trees or the skeletons
of animals. Man-made structures are all around us as well.
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All
structures have something in common:
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They have shape
They hold themselves together
They can support weight or forces
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Connel Ferry Bridge,
Scotland.
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For
example, a tree can support itself and will not usually fall
down in a wind. A bridge can support the weight of cars and
people crossing it.
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Both
of these examples will though, collapse if there is too much
force, or weight. So what are these forces?
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Tacoma Bridge collapse.
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