BUILD A PYRAMID (challenge suggestion)

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BUILD A PYRAMID Challenge is to pile heavy rocks to form a pyramid in shortest time. Rocks should be about the same size and weigh between 2000 pounds and 4000 pounds. (Could have said 1-2 tons, but I'm not sure if I'm talking scrapheap or junkyard.) If 14 rocks, pyramid is 3 layers of 9 rocks, 4 rocks, 1 rock on top. The last rock would have to be raised. Simply rolling the last rock up wouldn't work as could be done on the second layer. The initial position of the rocks could be near such that a crane (of several types), hoist, forklift, etc. Placing the top rock may be by incline with windlass or by lifting as with crane. A 4 layer pyramid (30 rocks) would present a bigger challenge for the lift and crane approaches but would rule out any incline solution. Placing rocks at a greater distance would present a transportion issue (a fixed crane not feasible).

-- John C. Hodge (scjh@citcom.net), January 11, 2001

Answers

Cool idea. This could show that the Egyptians weren't so primitive. If four people can build something in 10 hours with junk to move and stack the blocks. The Egyptians probably had a good method made too.

-- Tyson Fortowsky (biker_tyboy@hotmail.com), January 11, 2001.

The Egyptians worked lifetimes on their pyramids. There was no time limit, no pressure for fininshing on deadline. They also had hundreds of slaves, and, according to Lister, "really big whips."

-- matt Bagshaw (cadman88@hotmail.com), January 11, 2001.

Actually there seems to be a lot of evidence that the pyramid builders were contract labor and not so much slaves. A lot of the work was done out of the growing season so it is thought that farmers were picking up some extra cash by working in the off season,

-- ChanzReed (uncleniblz@aol.com), January 12, 2001.

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