Method for this Madness

People want to know how I'm carrying the stones.  The first stone was just a little two pounder that I picked up one morning and then didn't put down until I reached the office.  I could carry it easily in one hand without attracting too much attention.  After a few more of those, I decided to carry larger rocks and began using a small Eddie Bauer hand bag.  That was fine until I tried to carry a 35 pound stone (the one shown as "The Beginning" in the first post on this blog).  I needed something more substantial!

I bought a sturdy Mountain Equipment backpack.  With it, I can carry up to 40 lbs for 2k with reasonable comfort.  I still use the handbag, and that allows me to carry another 15 or 20 lbs.  Both bags are standing up remarkably well, and if they make it through this project, I'll give them 5-star reviews.

The handbag also holds my lunch and some gym clothes for daily workouts at our fitness facility.  I've stopped carrying my computer every day since the extra 6 or 7 lbs was not worth the odd time that I actually wanted to fire it up at home.

Density of Limestone

I suppose that I should be weighing all of the stones that I carry but, being an engineer, I'll be using a tape measure and calculator instead. Most of the stone that I'm carrying is limestone, and since I live at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, it is that type of limestone.

The density of limestone apparently varies from 2.1 to 2.7 g/cc. The density of water is 1 g/cc or 62.4 lbs per cubic foot.  Since its easier to think in cubic feet than cc's for something as large as this, we'll go with limestone weighing somewhere between 130 and 170 lbs per cubic foot. The middle of that range is 150 and a nice round number to remember. So, I declare that the average density of the stone that I am using is 150 lbs per cubic foot. I found one mention of the density of Niagara Escarpment Dolomite Limestone at 165 lbs per cubic foot, so I think my value is fair.

The structure that I am assembling has the stones packed fairly closely together, but I'm guessing that there is probably around 10% air space between the stones. The footprint of the structure is 6 feet by 3 feet and the height right now varies between 4 and 12 inches with an average around 7. Therefore, the current total weight of the stone that I've carried to work so far is about 6 x 3 x 7 / 12 x 0.9 x 150 = 1,420 lbs.  The weights that I post from now on will be based on this type of calculation.

September 18, 2012 (1,420 lbs)

How much does a car weigh?

My wife and I share a VW Jetta diesel and a short wheelbase Dodge Caravan.  I checked the Curb Weight on both that is posted on the door.  For the Jetta it is about 3,160 lbs and for the van about 3,900 lbs.  So, my goal has been to carry at least 3,160 lbs, and as much as 3,900 lbs, during this project.

I was interested to check out some other vehicle weights, so started at what I guessed would be the low end with a Smart for Two.  It has a GVWR of about 2,300 lbs and a curb weight of about 1,800 lbs.  I wasn't clear on the difference, so that sent me to Wikipedia.  The GVWR includes passengers and luggage, while the curb weight is empty.  There is also a dry weight that excludes fuel, oil and other fluids.  Large SUV's have curb weights of more than 5,000 lbs.  I guess that if I owned one of them, I wouldn't have thought of this project in the first place.

Catching Up

I'm starting this blog a little late, so the first few posts will be me catching up on material that should already be here.

 

Art in the Workplace Exhibit 9 Opening
August 2, 2012 (about 500 lbs)

This is a public installation art piece (my first).  It will take about 8 months to complete in two phases - carrying to work, and carrying home, for one "round trip".  Phase 1 is part of the McMaster Innovation Park Art in the Workplace Exhibit 9.  Assuming that the work is accepted again, phase 2 will be during Exhibit 10 starting at the end of November.

A good place to start might be my Artist Statement for this work:

Artist Statement:

Many of us take it for granted that we should be carried to work by a vehicle that typically weighs many times more than we do.  This work is my attempt to turn that normal commute around and to carry a car, or at least an equivalent weight to work.  For the duration of this project, I will first carry one or more stones during my 2 km walk to work here at MIP and add to this stone structure until its total weight is about the weight of a typical car.  I will then reverse the process and carry the stones back home completing one equivalent car carrying round trip.  This will take a while.

My work is inspired by artists like Richard Long who have incorporated significant physical efforts in their work.  My objective with this work is to have the audience appreciate how much energy is required to carry us around and to consider walking when the distance to be travelled is manageable.  It’s good for the planet and helps keep you fit – especially if you carry rocks.

The Beginning (about 35 lbs)