This week is the centennial of the Titanic’s launch, May 31, 1911. Why was she considered unsinkable? Because of her 30 compartments which could be sealed against one another with a pull of a single lever. [The Scuttlefish]
This week is the centennial of the Titanic’s launch, May 31, 1911. Why was she considered unsinkable? Because of her 30 compartments which could be sealed against one another with a pull of a single lever. [The Scuttlefish]
Chris
Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 2:55 AM60 characters more than a tweet.
Well done Gizmodo.
/golfclap
Nodeity
Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 9:14 AMFrom memory, the most prominent issue was that the steel that she was made from was brittle compared to the modern stuff… add very cold water and the metal simply cracked instead of bending. That’s not to say that modern steel would have saved her, but it is possible that the split would have been negated or at least manageable.
Ollie
Monday, June 6, 2011 at 12:46 PMIt wasn’t the material in the hull, it was the material in the rivets.
Nodeity
Monday, June 6, 2011 at 3:19 PMActually that’s incorrect. If anything the rivets would have been stronger than the main sheet of steel! The steel was updated for the Titanic’s sister ships “Olympic & Britannic” Her plates were brittle compared to her sisters.
Blenny
Monday, June 6, 2011 at 4:28 PMAs far as i am aware it was the steel plates, they were designed to be strong enough but at the low temperatures the fracture toughness was reduced as described by ductile to brittle transition temperature.