From: Horkheimer (hork_at_execpc.com)
Date: 04/22/98
Message-ID: <353E5D01.E7DE5CA5@execpc.com> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 16:11:30 -0500 From: Horkheimer <hork_at_execpc.com> Subject: Re: Been kinda quiet, lately...
Hello,
> > I think a good corrosion resistant steel, would be even better
> > then concrete. It is strong compressive and tension wise. It is
> > cheap and easily produced in large quantities. It is probably
> > lighter then a concrete sphere. I also believe it would be easier
> > to work with then concrete, considering many people know how to
> > make large steel frames and weld them together. Concrete usually
> > would be poured in molds and then attached at joints which could
> > lead to some problems.
>
> nah, it's really elegant the way they make these structures. you bend
> the skeleton out of rebar and pour the whole structure around it. or
> you can, anyway.
Well then you are also spending a lot of money on a solid mold that would be as
large as the airship itself, why not fly the mold.I my be wrong here though I am
not that familiar with construction using concrete on this scale.
> > What about natural wood or engineered reinforced wood or other recyclable
> > materials, maybe cardboard!
>
> for something a couple miles across?
Here I was just throwing out ideas, you know brainstorming. They have built a
lot of amazing things out of wood or carboard, I am sure they could do
something, but steel is probably the best mentioned so far. The nice thing
about this wood idea if you were a writer of historical fantasy or if you were
like C.S. Lewis you could say some sort of Atlantis like city built a large
balloon out of some special wood and goldbeaters skin or rice paper, were this
society lived up in the clouds. But we are engineers here, so I will stop on
this possible kids story.
Donald
Horkheimer