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Re: Ukraine
^ No mention of this dam having been designed to survive a nuclear explosion.
It's a low head dam, its inherently going to be very hard to break - short, fat, and extremely solid. Himars or artillery might punch a hole in a sluice gate, making a big chunk of dam disappear is a whole 'nuther.
^ No mention of this dam having been designed to survive a nuclear explosion.
It's a low head dam, its inherently going to be very hard to break - short, fat, and extremely solid. Himars or artillery might punch a hole in a sluice gate, making a big chunk of dam disappear is a whole 'nuther.
Although there is speculation about the cause of the damage, experts who have assessed the images have identified that it is the central section of the dam that has been destroyed. This then progressed to the failure of the whole eastern side of the spillway and the loss of the hydroelectric plant, according to University of Sheffield research fellow in structural and material blast characterisation Andrew Barr.Investigating the source of the damage further, Barr added: “The water level was at a record high before the breach, but usually a failure caused by overtopping in a dam like this would initiate on the earthen embankments and not on the reinforced concrete spillway, which is designed to manage regular discharges of water. If the sluice gates had been damaged leading to an uncontrolled discharge of water, this wouldn't be expected to cause the progressive collapse of the main concrete structure without significant additional damage elsewhere.”
These factors have led Barr to support the claims that the failure was initiated by an explosion, though the subsequent damage is likely to have removed the evidence.
These factors have led Barr to support the claims that the failure was initiated by an explosion, though the subsequent damage is likely to have removed the evidence.
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