Enhancing an Upper Division Structural Dynamics Course Using K’nex Toys

For the past three years, students in ARCE 483 Seismic Analysis and Design in the Architectural Engineering program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have been designing experiments using K’nex toys. The resulting experiments have included the effects of fixity on natural frequency, flexible versus rigid performance, seismic activity on a bridge structure, soft story behavior in buildings, the effect of floor system stiffness on the deflection of a system, the effect of mass dampers on tall buildings, identification of building mode shapes, and even modeling a viscous damper using K’nex, sponges and jello. This paper will demonstrate that K’nex toys can be an inexpensive yet very effective classroom technology for creating physical models and demonstrations in even the most technical engineering courses.