[Ciaphas Cain]

Many years ago a team of researchers retrieved a piece of the Titanic's hull from the ocean floor. It was subsequently put through an extensive series of metallurgical tests. In addition to the sample itself, the son of one of the workmen in the shipyard provided a divot: a slug of steel punched out of the hull plates for the rivets. It proved useful in comparing Titanic's steel prior to launch with whatever eighty-plus years of frigid seawater had done to it (it was determined that there had been no change in the metal's composition).

What they found was rather intriguing. Titanic's hull plating had a higher than normal sulfur content. In fact, it wouldn't have even made for good rebar. As a result Titanic's hull steel was EXCEPTIONALLY brittle already. Figure in the cold temperature acting upon it and it made it even worse. Instead of bending inward, the hull had pieces of it break off.

The Titanic was a disaster of materials as much as human hubris.

[Red Badger]

See post #6...............

[politicianslie]

Figure in the cold temperature acting upon it and it made it even worse. Instead of bending inward, the hull had pieces of it break off.

that's what I remember from my metal training back in my navy nuclear power training. The Titanic was VERY BRITTLE, just waiting for a disaster. IT broke instead of bending.

[redfreedom]

“Figure in the cold temperature acting upon it and it made it even worse.”

I can attest to cold temps affecting the strength of metal.

I have a project where I put about a 7,000 lb pull on a building with a 3/8 chain. In the summer the chain does not break and the building moves.

This winter I’m continuing the moving process over ice. At 20F this same chain keeps breaking. Several times. The pull should be less because it’s on ice (not frozen down either).