Someone on reddit asked this question here, and it got me thinking. Well, first it got me thinking, then it got me googling, and I found the internet almost devoid of information about the compressive strength of a LEGO brick.
I aim to fill this void, and hopefully answer this question: How many LEGO bricks can you stack, one on another (assuming perfect balance, of course) before the bottom one crushes from the weight of the stack?
Supplies:
Compression tester (to strength test a small stack of bricks)
Digital Scale (to weigh individual bricks, although I think I remember hearing they are 2.5grams)
Calculator (to divide the failure force by the weight of a single lego)
LEGO bricks (reasonable supply to allow for experimentation)
Note: I have a tensile tester at work that I am *hoping* will run in reverse...if not, I will have to make a crush fixture so I can test it in tension.
I did some preliminary testing with a few of the bricks I had at my desk on an arbor press, and it is clear that the studs on the top brick are going to be a problem--they fail WAY before the brick actually starts to lose integrity. I was going to sand them down, but then I remembered they sell flat plates, so I swung by the LEGO store after work to pick up some supplies for tomorrow. Also, I forgot my camera.
Anyways, any guesses? I'll keep this thread up to date, and probably make a youtube video when I'm finished with all my testing and have results.
Hint: It's probably a LOT
