5 ms·

Not only do we need to ask which steel, we also need to ask which strength. Off the top I my head, if were thinking about contructing buildings, then I'd want t

by Y_Y 1y ago

Not only do we need to ask which steel, we also need to ask which strength. Off the top I my head, if were thinking about contructing buildings, then I'd want to know: Compressive strength Tensile strength Shear strength Flexural strength Torsional strength Impact strength Fatigue strength Hardness It would be truly shocking if it had better e.g., tensile strength.

Retr0id 1y ago
The article claims "50% more tensile strength than steel"
ricardobeat 1y ago
Direct quote from the article: > The result is a material that has 50% more tensile strength than steel with a strength-to-weight ratio that’s 10 times better
- Y_Y 1y ago
  Sure, but only if you choose a steel with a low tensile strength. There are common steels with between 200 and 2000 MPa tensile strength, whereas I understand this wood material has about 500 MPa. This is (imho) impressive, and much better than untreated wood, but I think it's misleading to say "stronger than steel" when that labels a huge range of materials.
bluGill 1y ago
I'm also interested in how long it retains those properties. Steel can rust, but some alloys the rust protects the rest, while others it will rust away. Salt is also a factor in rust (important near the ocean). Wood often rots in water. They claim the fire properties are good, but I don't know enough about fire to know if they tested all the important properties.
- KennyBlanken 1y ago
  I don't know about this specific tech (which seems to be vaporware given the AI photos...) but the fire properties of some of the composite wood products are terrible they pose a massive danger to firefighters. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/i-team-lightweight-beams-may-contribute-to-devastating-house-fires/ https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/i-team-lightweight-beams... They are very commonly used in new house construction past a certain year for the central support beam, or the side beams, or both - that virtually everything rests on. In a house fire, the beam heats up, the binder/glue weakens, and the beam suddenly fails - causing the interior of the house to collapse partially or entirely which not only sends the firefighters into the basement and possibly under a pile of debris, but it breaks up a bunch of housing materials that are suddenly exposed to the fire.. Done solely to make the profit margin for the contractor slightly bigger... If you have such beams, it's probably worth looking into how to add insulation to extend the time before the beam fails.

by Y_Y 1y ago

Retr0id 1y ago

The article claims "50% more tensile strength than steel"

ricardobeat 1y ago

Direct quote from the article: > The result is a material that has 50% more tensile strength than steel with a strength-to-weight ratio that’s 10 times better

Y_Y 1y ago
Sure, but only if you choose a steel with a low tensile strength. There are common steels with between 200 and 2000 MPa tensile strength, whereas I understand this wood material has about 500 MPa. This is (imho) impressive, and much better than untreated wood, but I think it's misleading to say "stronger than steel" when that labels a huge range of materials.

bluGill 1y ago

I'm also interested in how long it retains those properties. Steel can rust, but some alloys the rust protects the rest, while others it will rust away. Salt is also a factor in rust (important near the ocean). Wood often rots in water. They claim the fire properties are good, but I don't know enough about fire to know if they tested all the important properties.

KennyBlanken 1y ago
I don't know about this specific tech (which seems to be vaporware given the AI photos...) but the fire properties of some of the composite wood products are terrible they pose a massive danger to firefighters. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/i-team-lightweight-beams-may-contribute-to-devastating-house-fires/ https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/i-team-lightweight-beams... They are very commonly used in new house construction past a certain year for the central support beam, or the side beams, or both - that virtually everything rests on. In a house fire, the beam heats up, the binder/glue weakens, and the beam suddenly fails - causing the interior of the house to collapse partially or entirely which not only sends the firefighters into the basement and possibly under a pile of debris, but it breaks up a bunch of housing materials that are suddenly exposed to the fire.. Done solely to make the profit margin for the contractor slightly bigger... If you have such beams, it's probably worth looking into how to add insulation to extend the time before the beam fails.