This orientation can be difficult for most FDM machines because the model can warp as the print head moves further away from the build platform. To get the best surface finish on the vertical map face, the tiles were oriented standing on end. This professional-grade printer would be able to handle the size and complexity of the model without a hitch. The GoEngineer additive manufacturing lab includes a Stratasys Fortus 450mc 3D Printer which uses FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology.
The strategy was to 3D print the model as large as possible but also with fine enough resolution to convey its message. After a few design modifications, the model was ready to be processed in GrabCAD Print and then 3D printed. The first step was to take their geographic LiDAR data and convert it into a solid model using SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software. The GoEngineer team in Auburn Hills, Michigan was delighted to assist with this project. GoEngineer's 3D Printing Lab in Auburn Hills, Michigan GoEngineer Additive Manufacturing Lab With the help of their professor, Eric Sander, the students were introduced to GoEngineer. To create the 3D topographical map, the students first tried utilizing the 3D printing services available at Mid and other local education centers, but the 3D printers available could not handle the size capacity needed for the project. This map would allow the Gladwin County Emergency Management office to educate the community about public safety and the potential hazards of heavy rainfall, flooding, and dam failure.
Preventing Future Disaster with 3D Topographical MapĪfter conducting their research and experiencing first-hand the long-term devastation flooding can have, the students believed that having access to a 3D topographical map of Gladwin County and the surrounding waterways would be extremely beneficial. Instead, multiple factors compounded to disastrous effects. They concluded that, contrary to initial beliefs, a single factor was not responsible for creating the 500-year flood. The students then spent several months reviewing their findings and analyzing academic sources including publications, personal interviews, speeches, posters, and documentaries. The remaining water had nowhere to be absorbed due to man-made structures interfering with the natural environment prolonging the flooding.
In turn, as the dams emptied, rushing rapids created additional flooding. From there, they were led to interview Gladwin County’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director, Robert North.Īfter a tour and an overview assessment of the flooding and dam breaches, Robert North explained that the floods were caused by heavy rainfall in Gladwin County however, as the water traveled downhill toward the already overloaded dams, the breaches occurred. Mid students began their research journey by collaborating with the administration and faculty at Mid Michigan College. Having endured watching their community suffer from the aftermath, Mid Michigan College (Mid) Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) students began their research to investigate the cause and help prevent future floods from devastating their community, and others as well. But could additional factors also be to blame? What caused these dams to breach and how could a similar tragedy be avoided in the future? News reports quickly circulated questioning the quality of the Sanford and Edenville dams faulting the owners for improper maintenance and poor infrastructure. For long-time residents, this disaster seemed all-too-familiar to the great flood of 1986, when heavy rain caused 11 dams to fail and caused more than $500 million in damages.
This “500-year flood” forced more than 10,000 residents in Midland County to evacuate and seek safety before the breached dam water ransacked their homes and belongings. In May 2020, amid a global pandemic, devastation and destruction struck mid-Michigan yet again, when both the Edenville and Sanford dams collapsed following a record-breaking rainfall.