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From: wrf@mab.ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Aluminum Ships
Message-ID: <1990Jul5.020456.14192@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 5 Jul 90 02:04:56 GMT
References: <1990Jun30.053925.4579@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul3.031848.6774@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
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From: wrf@mab.ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin)
Metals  in general  soften   (i.e.  turn to  putty)  at about half their
melting point.  A consideration in the design of steel buildings on land
is to shield  the steel to  protect it  (for  awhile) in case   of fire.
E.g., insulating foam is sprayed  on skyscraper beams.   In fact a solid
wood beam is more fire resistant than an uninsulated steel beam of equal
strength.

The point of all this is that if the weakening  of steel is a problem in
a  fire, I'd think that  aluminum would be  absolutely terrible since it
melts at a much lower temp.
-- 
						   Wm. Randolph Franklin
Internet: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (or @cs.rpi.edu)    Bitnet: Wrfrankl@Rpitsmts
Telephone: (518) 276-6077;  Telex: 6716050 RPI TROU; Fax: (518) 276-6261
Paper: ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180