| Go down to your basement
and look at the joists and other support beams. How big are
they? What are they made of? Are they damaged by holes,
insects, or moisture? What would you do if you discovered a joist
with a big notch cut out of the bottom?
Describe your concerns about the damage. Draw the forces on the joist. What would you do to correct the problem to avoid collapse? What materials would you use? Why? Let's say you just moved onto a property with a stream. What if you wanted to build a bridge across it at a point where it's 12 feet from bank to bank. How would you design it? What materials would you use? Why?
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