31 ms·

The expense is an upfront cost. Using basalt rebar we could be building 100 or 150 year bridges instead of 50 year bridges. We know basalt concrete structures

The expense is an upfront cost. Using basalt rebar we could be building 100 or 150 year bridges instead of 50 year bridges. We know basalt concrete structures wont fail from the reinforcement rusting away. We just haven't been using basalt rebar long enough to know the long term failure modes.

bilbo0s 5y ago
Basalt rebar does not have the tensile strength of steel rebar. During extreme stress, steel rebar allots time for escape, increasing the survivability of an event. The behavior of basalt is significantly different. Just different materials, with different performance profiles, that you can use to beneficial effect in different environments. But you have to know and understand the implications of the different performance profiles. I'm not going to do a whole engineering lecture here, but there is a really good concrete nerd who can outline this, and so much more, for you on his youtube channel if you're interested. He's a good engineer and I've been impressed with the accuracy of the material he presents as well as the accessibility with which it is presented. Tyler's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrvfiHNDS_QI-FgKQSmTITQ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrvfiHNDS_QI-FgKQSmTITQ More detailed explanation of tensile strength implications in structures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thUZImUTZn0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thUZImUTZn0
- tastyfreeze 5y ago
  Nice! Thank you for a few hours of entertainment.
  - bilbo0s 5y ago
    LOL! No problem. Tyler's definitely a nerd, but he's one of those magnificently brilliant nerds that you can't help watching for hours at a time.
masklinn 5y ago
> The expense is an upfront cost. Using basalt rebar we could be building 100 or 150 year bridges instead of 50 year bridges. But is that something we're trying to build? As the saying goes, it takes an engineer to design a building that's barely standing. We know how to build stuff which lasts for centuries, there's plenty of those lying around in the old world.

bilbo0s 5y ago

Basalt rebar does not have the tensile strength of steel rebar. During extreme stress, steel rebar allots time for escape, increasing the survivability of an event. The behavior of basalt is significantly different. Just different materials, with different performance profiles, that you can use to beneficial effect in different environments. But you have to know and understand the implications of the different performance profiles. I'm not going to do a whole engineering lecture here, but there is a really good concrete nerd who can outline this, and so much more, for you on his youtube channel if you're interested. He's a good engineer and I've been impressed with the accuracy of the material he presents as well as the accessibility with which it is presented. Tyler's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrvfiHNDS_QI-FgKQSmTITQ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrvfiHNDS_QI-FgKQSmTITQ More detailed explanation of tensile strength implications in structures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thUZImUTZn0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thUZImUTZn0

tastyfreeze 5y ago
Nice! Thank you for a few hours of entertainment.
- bilbo0s 5y ago
  LOL! No problem. Tyler's definitely a nerd, but he's one of those magnificently brilliant nerds that you can't help watching for hours at a time.

masklinn 5y ago

> The expense is an upfront cost. Using basalt rebar we could be building 100 or 150 year bridges instead of 50 year bridges. But is that something we're trying to build? As the saying goes, it takes an engineer to design a building that's barely standing. We know how to build stuff which lasts for centuries, there's plenty of those lying around in the old world.