[107643] in Cypherpunks
CDR: Re: C-Subs, a very scary thought
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John Young)
Wed Jan 20 07:39:50 1999
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 07:07:39 -0500
To: cypherpunks@einstein.ssz.com
From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
In-Reply-To: <v03130306b2cb43f4d909@[209.66.101.231]>
Reply-To: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
The C-sub uses Kevlar reinforcing instead of metal, not that
that eliminates risk of sonar detection -- not mentioning the
covert sensors/reflectors planted during construction.
Fiber reinforced concrete is available also. The loose
synthetic fibers (made of several types of high-strength
materials) are mixed with the aggregates to provide
uniform strength -- more effective than the less evenly
distributed reinforcement methods. Also the cost of
casting of this mix is much less due to reduced labor for
assembling reinforcement. Far more intricate and elegant
shapes can be produced with this method, by casting or
spraying.
Strengths of these new concretes are comparable to
those of conventional structural steel, though still far
less than advanced superstrength metals. (The
reinforced concrete and steel industries have long been
fierce competitors in architecture and engineering.)
Research in composite building materials is pretty
impressive, in which the best characteristics of legacy
materials are combined to produce more effective
hybrids.
Synthetics, plastics and concrete are being combined in
as many interesting ways as the better known composites
being used on planes and rockets.
Danger: Bear in mind that we A&E's best test of innovation
is to build at cut-corner cost and wait for catatrophic failure,
then act dumbfounded at the carnage, walk away exculpating
with our legacy closed-guild CYA mantra "oh well, back to the
drawing board."
