Winter Olimpic Games - Research Paper Example

Engineering and Construction Snowboarding and bob-sleigh are the most popular winter sports in the United s. Engineering and construction involved in the construction of a snowboard and sleigh are highly complex. This is because engineers need to be careful when constructing these equipment since the materials used to construct and the weight of the tools are the key factors to the success of the athletes. Additionally, the engineers must rely to the Skeleton Federation together with International Bobsleigh (FIBT) rules and regulations that govern all international bob-sleigh and snowboarding sports. This is because failure to cope with these rules and regulation, the athletes may get disqualifications. Introduction Both snowboarding and bob-sleigh is a popular winter sports in the United States. People focused on these two types of sports and introduced in the United States during the time when people were eager to find some new winter activities. The two types of sports have many styles. For instance, snowboarding include half-pipe, freestyle, big air, alpine, and slope style (International Sports Engineering Association., Moritz & Haake, 2006). On the other hand, Bobsleigh includes three disciplines; two-man, four-man, and women’s doubles. The equipment of Bobsleigh and snowboarding are quite essential for the athletes in the Olympic competitions. The construction of the bob-sled and snowboard is highly complex. This research paper aims to explain the engineering and construction of both the snowboard and Bobsled. Snowboarding Snowboarding is one of the popular winter sports in the United States. This type of winter activity was developed in the United States back in the 1960s. During this time, people in the country began to establish out some new sports for winter activities (Morgan, 2007). In the following decade, several pioneers increased the construction of the snowboard and this influenced many athletes to involve themselves to the sport thus gaining crossover appeal” (“Snowboard equipment and history,” 2013). Skateboarders became involved. By the end of 1980, snowboarding was a global activity of winter sports. Snowboarding involves various elements such as surfing, skiing, and skateboarding. Snowboarding made its first Olympic debut in the year1998 at Nagano Games Olympic games (Barr & Moran, 2003). One of the famous snowboarders is Shawn White, who participates in half pipe sport. Shawn White has won several gold medals, and is one of the USA professional snowboarder. Snowboarding has numerous styles, which include half-pipe, freestyle, big air, alpine, and slope style. The half-pipe style was among the competitions in this year’s Sochi Olympic Winter sports. Shawn White has finished in the fourth position during this year’s winter Olympics in his Half pipe Snowboarding (Morgan, 2007). In the half-pipe snowboarding competition, athletes use a special half pipe-shaped snowboard. Using the speed they gain on the slopes, the athletes come out of the rim on the other side of the pipe and perform acrobatic aerial tricks. The athletes perform the snowboarding activities on from the top of a mountain where they should ski downwards (Barr & Moran, 2003). The construction of the snowboard track is much more complex since the engineers must ensure that it is highly sloppy for the provision of kinetic transition energy from potential energy. ABS Sandwich/Sidewall Construction-The first type of the sidewall is the ABS Sidewall. This is the part where the snowboard layer is paved flat. The main purpose of the ABS sidewall is to protect the core of the snowboard. This design is good since it protects the core through reduction of the pressure exerted from the edge (Mechanics of Sport, 2007). The effectiveness of this design is that it is good for athletes’ free riding since it transmits pressure towards the snowboard edges well. Figure 1. ABS Sidewall Construction http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/sidewall.jpg Cap Construction- The second type refers to the Cap Construction. The top sheet and the fiberglass layers cover the core of the snowboard to seal the edges. Although this type of design makes the snowboard much lighter and gives it a snap, most engineers are not using it nowadays (Barr & Moran, 2003). Figure 2. Cap Construction http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/cap.jpg Half-Cap Construction-The third design is the Half– Cap Construction. This is a hybrid of the first two constructions where, instead of the fiberglass being put on the top, the engineers put it down around the core (Morgan, 2007). The top sheet on the other has comes around to join the sidewall. This design aids in providing good pressure transmission towards the edges, and is realisticallysnappy and light. It is normally common on high-end snowboards. Often, you can find half-cap construction on boards, which have an ABS sidewall at the middle of the snowboard (Mechanics of Sport, 2007). The added sidewalls are mainly made of ABS plastics and often have rubber layers underneath the sidewall, which act as shock absorbers (Barr & Moran, 2003). These sidewalls can also have layers made of other materials such as bamboo and aluminium. Figure 3. Half-Cap Construction http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/half-cap.jpg The following figure shows all the various parts of a snowboard. The sidewall part is along the side of the board that ends with three varying types. Figure 4. Snowboard http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/snowboard-construction.jpg Core construction The core refers to the central part of a snowboard and determines many characteristics of a snowboard. This the part that incorporates all the strength of a snowboard and everything in the snowboard attaches to this central part. The core part is the one, which determines the snowboard’s quality (Morgan, 2007). This is because all the other parts of the snowboard attach to the core of the snowboard. The materials used to construct the core are comprised of laminated hardwood strips such as beech, aspen, birch bamboo, or a combination of the four strips. Snowboards, which are made using wood are always good shape and have less shaking feelings (Mechanics of Sport, 2007). Other materials for core construction include carbon, Kevlar, aluminium honeycomb, and foam. Figure 5. Core Construction http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/wood-core.jpg Fiberglass layers The purpose of fiberglass in a snowboard is to increase stiffness and prevent the snowboard from deforming. The structuring of the fiberglass involves two ways; bi-axial wrap and tri-axial wrap. In bi-axial, the engineers weave the strands of the fiberglass together at 90ofor the production of lightweight, forgiving, and dependable layer (Mechanics of Sport, 2007). In tri-axial, on the other hand, the engineers weave the fiberglass strands at 45o, 0o, and -45o for the production of lightweight, forgiving, and dependable layer, although at an increased torsion stiffness compared to the bi-axial wrapping (Barr & Moran, 2003).Engineers then impregnate the fiberglass sheets using resin to hold them tightly and give them strength. Figure 6. Fibreglass layers http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/fibreglass.jpg Top sheet The top sheet refers to the topmost part of the board that contains the graphics and protects the inner core of the board. Construction of top sheet involves many different materials such as fiberglass, plastic, wood, nylon, and composites (Morgan, 2007). There are two main methods of putting the graphics on the top sheet, which are encapsulated and sublimation. In encapsulation, the graphics are written on a paper or a piece of cloth and put under the top sheet while in sublimation, the engineers fuse the graphics into the material that construct the top sheet with special ink, plastics, and heat (Mechanics of Sport, 2007). Figure 7. Top Sheet http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/topsheet.jpg Base material Bases consist of P-Tex (a polyethylene plastic). The base materials always have a number (sintered 2000), which indicates the molecular weight of the used polyethylene. The higher the sintered number, the greater the weight of the polyethylene, this indicates a more durable and better base. The two types of base are sintered and extruded (Morgan, 2007). Extruded base is the bases formed by belting the construction material and cutting it into desired shape. This type of base is cheap to construct and has low maintenance cost. The disadvantage is that they are slower and less durable than sintered bases (Barr & Moran, 2003). With sintered base, the engineers, ground the construction material, into powder, heat, pressure, and slice into desired shape. Although these bases are expensive to construct, they are faster and more durable. Figure 8. Base material http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/base-grooves.jpg Edges Engineers use stainless steel or steel to make the snowboard edges, which are held to the board using a T-shaped inserts built into them (Mechanics of Sport, 2007). There are two types of edges, which include partial wrap and full wrap. Partial wrap means that the edges run along the sidewalls while full wrap goes around the board and it is the strongest type of edge. However, it is difficult and expensive to repair if damage occurs (Morgan, 2007). Figure 9. Edges http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/graphics/equipment/snowboard-edge.jpg Other equipment used for construction of snowboard includes metal inserts built into the board for binding the holes. Resin is essential to hold all the parts of the board together affecting the weight, strength, and its flex (Mechanics of Sport, 2007). Application of wax is significant on the snowboard’s base to reduce friction and make the snowboard slide faster. The most essential features of base wax are; lower friction of base and snow, be hard to prevent penetration of snow crystals, and repel water (Barr & Moran, 2003). Bob-sleigh Bob-sleigh, which also refers to bobsled is another winter sport whereby timed groups of two-operate or four-man runs down a mountain using a sled, which is always gravity-powered. The total timed rounds are finally mixed for calculating the final score of each team (Johnson, 2010). Engineers introduced several types of different sleds before completion of the initial sled whereby whose construction took place in Switzerland. It is in Switzerland were adoption of the innovative bobsleds took place with upsized skeleton /Luge sleds were constructed for carrying passengers (Estivalet, Brisson& International Sports Engineering Association, 2008). All the forms of sleds were because of toboggans. The equipment used for the construction of the sled are too costly and its construction is more complex. The quality of a sled is the one, which determines the performance of a team of athletes. Olympic sports’ officials then introduced bobsleighing as an Olympic game. United States eventually banned all bobsledding activities from the public for the protection of high-class men and women and visitors of St Moritz. During the winters of the years, 1903 and 1904 the owners of the earlier Kulm Hotel and Palace Hotel allowed construction of the first bobsled track at their hotel that had its terminal at the Cresta village (Johnson, 2010). This bobsled track has hosted several Olympic sports and is still currently in use. Skeleton Federation together with International Bobsleigh (FIBT) governs all international bob-sleigh sports. Additionally, Skeleton Federation, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, and US Bobsleigh govern all the National sports of Bobsleigh. Some of the famous athletes who participate in the Olympic sports include Shauna Rohbock. Tracks Engineers construct the modernized bobsled tracks using concrete, which has ice coat. The modern bobsled tracks must have one or more straight part and a single labyrinth. Ideally, the current bobsled tracks must be minimum 1,200 meters and maximum 1,300 meters long (3,900 to 4,300 ft) and have a minimum of fifteen bends. A track may have a speed, which can exceed 120 km/hr (75 mph). Some bobsled tracks subject the sled’s crews to more than 5 g. Other Bobsleigh tracks are mainly utilized during skeleton and Luge sports (Estivalet, Brisson& International Sports Engineering Association, 2008). Others are utilized as a means of tourists ride in countries such as Canada, USA, and many others. Sleigh construction Four-man and two-man crews participate in the Bobsleigh Olympic Games. The main design features and equipment for the two types of bobsled sleds are identical. All types of bobsled sleds consist of a steel frame, a fiberglass body also called the cowling, a pair of movable forward runners, .A pair of fixed rear runners, and a steering system (Johnson, 2010). A sled also has retractable push bars used by the crewmembers and the pilot, fixed push bars used by the brakeman, and a serrated metal brake mainly used after the Bobsleigh crosses the finishing line. The FIBT lays down some rules and regulations governing the construction and design of a sled and the dimensions of the above-mentioned components (Johnson, 2010). This body also governs the total weight/load of a sled. Sled engineers cooperate with crewmembers such as Shauna Rohbock to enable them construct a sled with the recommended and the best design, which enable the team to be successful. FIBT has also set a minimum weight (bob with no crewmembers) and maximum weight (bob with crewmembers) for all types of bobsled sleds (Estivalet, Brisson & International Sports Engineering Association, 2008). The following are weight restrictions that apply to all bobsleighs: Two-man bob- a two-man bob must have a minimum weight of 384lbs (170kg) for an empty bob. It should have a maximum weight of 860lbs (390kg) for sleds with crewmembers and equipment. Two-man bob for women-this women bob must have a minimum weight of 284lbs (129kg) when empty and a maximum weight of 750lbs (340kg) with crewmembers and equipment. Four-man bob for men-this bulb must have a minimum weight of 463lbs (210kg) when empty and have a maximum weight of 1389lbs (630kg) with crewmembers and equipment (International Sports Engineering Association., Moritz & Haake, 2006). The more the weight of a bob, the faster the bob travels. Therefore, crews whose bobs do not reach the recommended weight are allowed to add ballast to their sleds to increase the sled’s weight to enable them compete with the other crews fairly. The sports specialists weigh the sleds after a run to determine whether it had the recommended weight according to the FIBT regulations and rules (Estivalet, Brisson & International Sports Engineering Association, 2008). FIBT also allows bobsleighs to have sponsor logos like in racing cars. The fiberglass must be less transparent and fragile enough not to break or get damaged under various sections of the tracks. Generally, the body of Bobsleigh comprises of two major parts (Johnson, 2010). Bobsleigh runners should not be sharpened. They must be polished enough until they turn out to be highly smooth to reduce friction on ice. Since narrow runners help in reducing ice friction and runs at a higher speed than the wide runners, FIBT regulates the width of bobsleigh runners to ensure fair competition (International Sports Engineering Association., Moritz & Haake, 2006). Therefore, engineers should keen when measuring the width of the runners. Engineers should also ensure that runners are not nickel-plated, oiled, heated, or painted. Prior to any competition, the specialist staff carries out electronic measurements on the runners’ temperature and compare these measurements with temperature of other similar runners left in an open air for a minimum of one hour (Estivalet, Brisson & International Sports Engineering Association, 2008). If these measurements have a difference of more than four degrees, the offending crew team gets disqualified from the game. Therefore, engineers should be keen when constructing the runners to prevent the crews from disqualifications. Until the 1960s, steering of Bobsleigh involved the use of a steering wheel. Nowadays, pilots steer Bobsleigh using steering rings. These types of steering are connected with a cable-and-pulley structure, which is further connected with the forward runners. This can move about three inches to the right as well as to the left (Johnson, 2010). To turn Bobsleigh towards left, the pilot must pull the left ring and the right ring to turn to the right. According to most pilots such as Shauna Rohbock, the modern steering is more stable and effective than the ancient ones. The brakes at the lever’s end are only touched when Bobsleigh crosses the finishing line. Figure 10. Bobsled brakes http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BMWs-two_man-bobsled-racing-at-the-Utah-Olympic-Park.jpg Figure 11. Sleigh and Crews http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Army_Bobsleigh_on_a_wall.jpg/220px-Army_Bobsleigh_on_a_wall.jpg Team USA on a wall, Shauna Rohbock (pilot) and Valerie Fleming (brakes) during their 2006 silver run on Cesana Pariol, Italy. Bobsled spec and construction rules The bobsled mainly consists of a frame, hull, rear axle, and runners (two-man or four-man). The construction of the hull/cowling makes use of fiberglass and constructed in two separate parts (Johnson, 2010). Engineers should understand that, the most effective way of making sleds to improve their speeds is to enhance the way the sleds have taken corners since this where the crewmembers can win or loss fractions of seconds. Additionally, the heavier the sled the faster it can go, although athletes also need to push it (Estivalet, Brisson & International Sports Engineering Association, 2008). Under certain conditions, a stiff sled may move faster with different construction material thickness. Bodies of sleds must be of carbon fiber, steel, or glass. Figure 12. Complete bobsled http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/02/13/article-2558564-1B766C3600000578-30_634x379.jpg Conclusion The construction of both snowboard and sleigh is very complex. The type equipment used for construction of these two tools are essential for the athletes such as Shawn White and Shauna Rohbock who participate in the Olympic competitions. The technology involved in constructing a snowboard and sleigh is highly complex. For, engineers should bear in mind that the heavier the equipment, the faster it is hence enabling athletes to be successful. Engineers should also comply with the regulations of FIBT while construction snowboards and sleds. References Barr, M., & Moran, C. (2003). Snowboarding. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications. Estivalet, M., Brisson, P. C., & International Sports Engineering Association. (2008). The engineering of sport 7: Vol. 2. Paris: Springer. International Sports Engineering Association., Moritz, E. F., & Haake, S. (2006). The engineering of sport 6. New York: Springer. Johnson, R. (2010). Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton. New York, NY: Crabtree Pub. Co. Mechanics of Sport . (2007). Snowboarding. Retrived on March 14th, 2014 from http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/equipment/snowboards.html Morgan, J. (2007). Snowboarding. North Mankato, Minn, Smart Apple Media. Read More