[BITList] Ship sizes - BBC magazine article

[Malcolm]

Hugh,

 

Two or three weeks ago I saw a TV show that the boffins have now invented or
discovered a material that is stronger than anything known on this earth at
the same thickness. They said that we will have to forget all the physics
that we all learnt. I should be OK because I have forgotten most of it
already.

 

Malcolm.

 

  _____  

From: bitlist-bounces at lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com
[mailto:bitlist-bounces at lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com] On Behalf Of HUGH
Sent: 19 February 2013 12:29
To: BitList
Subject: Re: [BITList] Ship sizes - BBC magazine article

 

Mike,

 

I did some research on Clyde shipbuilding for an article a few years ago,
and I found one of the things that drove the onset of iron shipbuilding was
the limit on the capacity of wooden vessels. There was/is a practical limit
on length of about 80 m - above that, the amount of wood to ensure strength
becomes ridiculous.  Composite vessels - wood and wrought iron, helped for a
while.  There is surely an upper limit for steel, and it may well be found
by trial and catastrophic error.  Metallurgical advances are all very well
and good, but can be subject to the horse meat syndrome.  In Kincaids, once
a length of steel was cut from the bar painted at one end with the ID, the
cut length had no ID, so, if provenance was to be lost, there might be a
cylinder head stud that, when torqued up to the specified figure, would have
a short life indeed. The happiness of its life didn't come into it.  This
occurred once that I remember.

 

Hugh.

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