I was thinking about forklifts and I thought it'd be a good challenge if the teams on Scrapheap Wars had to create a machine that could allow them to recreate a "stonehenge" like structure.

They'd need mechanical aid to get the columns upright, as well as, a forklift like device to get the cross pieces to the top of the columns. Of course, pulleys and a large tripod could work. Perhaps a derrick? The building blocks of the structure wouldn't necessarily have to be very large or made of stone.

Also, I was watching a construction crew drive pilings for a new bridge here in the San Francisco bay area, and I thought that might be interesting as well. The teams would have to come up with a way to drive a piling into the ground.

Anyway, just some random thoughts...

-- Louie Escober (escog@hotmail.com), December 13, 2000

Answers

Hey these are both really good ideas.

The building blocks for Scraphenge could be large, cast concrete slabs--smaller than the real Stonehenge, of course, especially if you expected them to erect more than just one or two sets (that is, build a whole circle of hanging stones).

-- Derek Jensen (djensen@kconline.com), December 14, 2000.

As an interesting variation, how about a device to erect an obilisk? This is one of the mysteries ancient engineers left us, since there are no records of how these monuments were raised. While a 500 ton granite needle would be impressive, a scale model cast out of concrete and too big to be lifted by "hand" would do nicely.

Come to think of it, the ancients seem to have been able to do a lot of things without leaving any clues as to how they did it. How about a spinoff for recreating clever ancient engineering?

-- Arthur Majoor (a_majoor@hotmail.com), December 21, 2000.

I like the ideas. The show is already educational in an engineering sense. I think these ideas could add history to the fold.

-- ed (ed22778@yahoo.com), December 27, 2000.

Biggest problem with trying to recreate historical engineering feats is time. We have a show in Canada on our History TV (and I'm certain it airs on the History Channel in the US) by the name of 'Secrets of Lost Civilizations'. One episode dealt with the raising of a scaled down version of an obilisk. Two teams spent upwards of a week each trying to raise one (each had a different theory). I think the teams may have to go the the Artic Circle in the summer to get enough day light!

-- R. Rickard (rsrickard@beer.com), December 27, 2000.