Students have to pass this tower-building test as a compulsory part of their 2019 summer semester module in timber construction at the Eastern Westphalia-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The project requires the students, in pairs, to design and construct a model wooden tower that meets various specifications to bear the maximum load possible. The results will be presented by TH OWL at its timber engineering stand during LIGNA 2019, with the towers subjected to rigorous testing on Thursday, May 30 at 10:30 a.m.

The towers must have a footprint of at least 400 square centimeters, measure at least 100 centimeters in height, and be constructed from only wood, glue and a string. The individual pieces of wood, with cross sections of 5 x 5 and 5 x 10 millimeters, must be no longer than 60 centimeters, and the overall weight of the tower’s construction is limited to 333 grams. The students are presenting their projects at the TH OWL stand during LIGNA 2019. Each pair has five minutes to briefly summarize the structural concept of their tower and estimate the model’s maximum load bearing capacity. The towers will then be put to the test by applying a gradually increasing load in a controlled breaking test.