Answers.Body: <p>Just like in the <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars">other question</a>, I would recommend a Technic frame with more depth than your original idea and some plating on top of it. <a href="http://www.zweistein.de/lego/the_bridge_of_bottrop.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This project</a> nicely illustrates how to build stable Technic structures using beams in triangle configurations.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-06-11T13:10:05.757Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-06-11T13:10:05.757Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T12:47:56.390Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: zovits
Body: <p>What is the strongest LEGO box structure?</p>
  
  <p>I am going to build a LEGO computer case. Different from <a href="http://www.totalgeekdom.com/?p=1725" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mike Schropp</a> and <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-a-Lego-Computer/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">greenyouse</a>, I am planing to build an upright case.</p>
  
  <p><em>(This is a general "strongest LEGO structure" question. Using the structures in building the computer case is just an example of applications.)</em></p>
  
  <p>To make it more challenging (and more perfect), the case will have handles (like <a href="http://www.nocompromisegaming.com/img/lanboy.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this type</a>) for carrying the whole thing around, and it will have "legs" (like <a href="http://www.guru3d.com/miraserver/images/2012/corsair-vengeance-c70/IMG_6232.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this bar type</a>) to lift the whole case up for ventilation.</p>
  
  <p><em>For better reference, here is the coordinate notation:</em></p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZbJWY.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>There are 4 parts (for now I can think of) in the case which has to encounter different types of strength challenges:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars">The pillars</a> (Red)</li>
  <li><a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6402/strongest-lego-structuce-2-floor">The floor</a> (dark grey)</li>
  <li>The joints (purple)</li>
  <li>The handles (yellow)</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/B8d1i.png" alt="enter image description here"> <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/huazy.png" alt="enter image description here"> <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RdAWU.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>For the white bricks, they do not require special strengths, do they?</p>
  
  <p>FYI, <a href="http://www.robertcailliau.eu/Lego/Dimensions/zMeasurements-en.xhtml" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> are the LEGO dimensions: </p>
  
  <p><strong>Horizontal pitch</strong>, or distance between knobs:  <strong>8mm</strong>.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Vertical pitch / Brick thickness</strong>:  <strong>9.6mm</strong>.</p>
  
  <p>The horizontal tolerance:  0.1mm.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Plate thickness</strong>: <strong>3.2mm</strong>.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Above is the common information across the 4 questions.</em></p>
  
  <p><em>Below is the question for this specific part.</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>(2) The floor (dark grey)</p>
  
  <p>Someone has done <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.p" rel="nofollow noreferrer">some experiences</a> against the effect of weight on LEGO bricks (results at <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.gc4fd8cc_0_32" rel="nofollow noreferrer">slide 11</a>). From his experiments, <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.gc4fd8cc_0_59" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the Flemish structure</a> is a clear winner.</p>
  
  <p>Like <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars">the pillar problem</a>, I wonder why not stack plates/bricks up along the X/Y axis, instead of the Z axis?</p>
  
  <p>My suggestion is basically the structure of the pillar rotated clockwise along the Y axis, and extending it along the Y axis.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/s5nwz.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>For those who have not read the pillar section yet, this is simply stacking up plates along the Y axis.</p>
  
  <p>Same as the pillar, there is a risk of the plates separating due to the weight. So I make a "doughnut" to secure the plates.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KCvtQ.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>Here is how they look like together.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Q5O25.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>I assume using longer plates will be better than short plates, because fewer connecting points, lower risk to separate, isn't it? However, in the <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.p" rel="nofollow noreferrer">presentation mentioned above</a>, the result suggests that a mix of long and short plates has the most strength. Does this theory apply to my "Y axis structure"? And how long and how short combinations will be the best?</p>
  
  <p>In addition, in my "Y axis structure", will using bricks instead of plates be stronger?</p>
  
  <p>However, thing is more difficult here than <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars">the pillar</a>. It is because the tension is <strong>not</strong> only pulled along the X axis. Instead, the weight is applied down the Z axis, and tension is all along the X and Y axis. So I assume this structure, when used as floor, will be a lot weaker than used in the pillar.</p>
  
  <p>Please suggest any of your structure ideas which will be the strongest.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-06-15T10:18:33.713Z
Comments.Text: This seems very broad, and also a near-duplicate of [your other question](http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars). Perhaps split them into shorter, simpler questions that describe exactly what you want to do like "how do I make a strong box", "how to I add handles to my box". Or combine them into one "how do I make a computer case". The extremely general "what's the strongest structure" is impossible to answer unless you define "strongest". Using mechanical engineering terms there would be best so we don't have to explain those to you.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ⴖuі
Tags: <building><design><plastics>
Title: Strongest LEGO structure - (2) Floor
UserDisplayName: midnite
ThreadText: # Strongest LEGO structure - (2) Floor
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-11)
  
  What is the strongest LEGO box structure?
  
  I am going to build a LEGO computer case. Different from [Mike Schropp](http://www.totalgeekdom.com/?p=1725) and [greenyouse](http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-a-Lego-Computer/), I am planing to build an upright case.
  
  *(This is a general "strongest LEGO structure" question. Using the structures in building the computer case is just an example of applications.)*
  
  To make it more challenging (and more perfect), the case will have handles (like [this type](http://www.nocompromisegaming.com/img/lanboy.jpg)) for carrying the whole thing around, and it will have "legs" (like [this bar type](http://www.guru3d.com/miraserver/images/2012/corsair-vengeance-c70/IMG_6232.jpg)) to lift the whole case up for ventilation.
  
  *For better reference, here is the coordinate notation:*
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ZbJWY.png)
  
  There are 4 parts (for now I can think of) in the case which has to encounter different types of strength challenges:
  
  1. [The pillars](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars) (Red)
  2. [The floor](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6402/strongest-lego-structuce-2-floor) (dark grey)
  3. The joints (purple)
  4. The handles (yellow)
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/B8d1i.png) ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/huazy.png) ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/RdAWU.png)
  
  For the white bricks, they do not require special strengths, do they?
  
  FYI, [here](http://www.robertcailliau.eu/Lego/Dimensions/zMeasurements-en.xhtml) are the LEGO dimensions:
  
  **Horizontal pitch**, or distance between knobs: **8mm**.
  
  **Vertical pitch / Brick thickness**: **9.6mm**.
  
  The horizontal tolerance: 0.1mm.
  
  **Plate thickness**: **3.2mm**.
  
  ---
  
  *Above is the common information across the 4 questions.*
  
  *Below is the question for this specific part.*
  
  ---
  
  (2) The floor (dark grey)
  
  Someone has done [some experiences](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.p) against the effect of weight on LEGO bricks (results at [slide 11](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.gc4fd8cc_0_32)). From his experiments, [the Flemish structure](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.gc4fd8cc_0_59) is a clear winner.
  
  Like [the pillar problem](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars), I wonder why not stack plates/bricks up along the X/Y axis, instead of the Z axis?
  
  My suggestion is basically the structure of the pillar rotated clockwise along the Y axis, and extending it along the Y axis.
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/s5nwz.png)
  
  For those who have not read the pillar section yet, this is simply stacking up plates along the Y axis.
  
  Same as the pillar, there is a risk of the plates separating due to the weight. So I make a "doughnut" to secure the plates.
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/KCvtQ.png)
  
  Here is how they look like together.
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Q5O25.png)
  
  I assume using longer plates will be better than short plates, because fewer connecting points, lower risk to separate, isn't it? However, in the [presentation mentioned above](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1viIjcJRMEMmeSatOs5Cq9scZhjSnbHu72Wvng7msTzQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.p), the result suggests that a mix of long and short plates has the most strength. Does this theory apply to my "Y axis structure"? And how long and how short combinations will be the best?
  
  In addition, in my "Y axis structure", will using bricks instead of plates be stronger?
  
  However, thing is more difficult here than [the pillar](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars). It is because the tension is **not** only pulled along the X axis. Instead, the weight is applied down the Z axis, and tension is all along the X and Y axis. So I assume this structure, when used as floor, will be a lot weaker than used in the pillar.
  
  Please suggest any of your structure ideas which will be the strongest.
  
  **Tags:** building, design, plastics
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: This seems very broad, and also a near-duplicate of [your other question](http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars). Perhaps split them into shorter, simpler questions that describe exactly what you want to do like "how do I make a strong box", "how to I add handles to my box". Or combine them into one "how do I make a computer case". The extremely general "what's the strongest structure" is impossible to answer unless you define "strongest". Using mechanical engineering terms there would be best so we don't have to explain those to you.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-11. Score: 2
  
  Just like in the [other question](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6401/strongest-lego-structuce-1-pillars), I would recommend a Technic frame with more depth than your original idea and some plating on top of it. [This project](http://www.zweistein.de/lego/the_bridge_of_bottrop.html) nicely illustrates how to build stable Technic structures using beams in triangle configurations.
  
  
  ---
  
  