President Trump is claiming the strikes “obliterated” three underground nuclear sites in Iran protected by military grade concrete. The truth may be more complicated.

Previously, a yield strength of 5,000 pounds per square inch (psi) was enough for concrete to be rated as “high strength,” with the best going up to 10,000 psi. The new UHPC can withstand 40,000 psi or more.

The greater strength is achieved by turning concrete into a composite material with the addition of steel or other fibers. These fibers hold the concrete together and prevent cracks from spreading throughout it, negating the brittleness. “Instead of getting a few large cracks in a concrete panel, you get lots of smaller cracks,” says Barnett. “The fibers give it more fracture energy.”

      • FaceDeer@fedia.io
        101·
        1 year ago

        What material would that be? Corrosives have limits, they can’t just keep dissolving stuff forever.

        And what would “total failure” look like? It’s a mountain, it’s not going to just collapse into goo.

      • GhostlyPixel@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        My first thought is actually getting the corrosive substance onto enough of the concrete would be difficult, assuming they aren’t able to penetrate the concrete then they have to rely on it seeping from the ground, or if they can penetrate then the substance is only really going to be in the chamber where the buster detonated.

        I have zero experience with ordnance or busting bunkers though so that’s just a shot in the dark