Comments by "Stephen Villano" (@spvillano) on "IT'S HISTORY" channel.

@christianheidt5733 yes, it is. Otherwise, all of those nice reinforced concrete buildings would've collapsed when swaying gently with the wind.
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As memory serves, Drexel University has a concrete boat program, as well as plans for and operational concrete canoes. I suspect that more modern concrete mixes and coatings would make the vessels far more longer lasting as seaworthy vessels. It's just currently, we have no need for them, as steel isn't something that there's a great shortage of.
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@neiloflongbeck5705 most people don't know the difference between concrete, which consists of aggregate and cement and just plain cement. I actually mixed up a light concrete mix and let it cure, as well as just plain cement to show the difference. The cement being exceptionally weak, the concrete cementing yet again its reputation as a tough construction component. ;)
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@sabrekai8706 many universities still have concrete canoe competitions. So, I'm sure that boat plans are still about that use more modern mixtures, techniques and sealants.
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Now that beach is part of the National Park system. There remains a USCG station there, the rest are public beaches, one being clothing optional.
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They still hold those contests and the American Society of Civil Engineers sponsors those contests and has tons of resources available for participants.
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The biggest problem remains, ferrocement is heavy, a bit over three times the equivalent of steel for the equivalent displacement. That incurs a much higher fuel cost. They're also inherently less flexible in a collision or grounding. Now, would I own one? Absolutely! I'd also look heavily into using non ferrous reinforcement bars and likely, aggregate that'd give more flexibility, while not fracturing the needles from the cement. The American Society of Civil Engineers holds competitions on concrete canoes and has a wealth of information on winning designs.
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There is one point that the narrator, in sheer ignorance, just glossed over, ever in a hurry to condemn the seaworthy vessels as death traps. Concrete weights in around three times heavier and spare change than steel. That incurs significant costs, as in propulsion, as in everything else, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. They also lacked the flexibility of a steel hull. So, if there was a collision or grounding, the concrete vessel would fare poorer than the steel vessel and well, even the steel vessel's gonna go through hell. Still, I'd happily own one for recreation. I'd just have to watch out for the shallow rocks in the river nearby.
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The US never learns. We sent steel over to Japan, it was returned in Pearl Harbor and WWII. So, not learning, we're still sending steel over to China... But now, we've allowed our steel industry to fail. Hopefully, Chinese is easy to learn, given how we're also now attacking veteran benefits and pensions, won't have anyone to defend the nation or steel with which to defend it.
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They were indeed fuel hogs though, weighing in at three times the weight of a steel hull for the same capacity. At the time, steel wasn't available for most industry, that whole total war thing going on dedicating the entirety of the economy to warfare equipment and tanks were considered more important than tankers - right until fuel was needed. So, the second best thing was used. As one can wish in one hand, shit in the other, we all know which hand will get filled first.
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@o9rgeronimo979 ferrocement remains ferrocement, hasn't changed much since steel was invented for use in reinforcement bars, aka rebar. Usually, what's used isn't rebar, but reinforcement wire, which does plenty well in civil construction of all sorts - to include most boat ramps and concrete aprons to businesses. And I remember a bottling plant fuel apron over the fuel tanks that dated back to WWII that took our heaviest equipment to break up - after we burned up every jackhammer in the shop, many just back from being rebuilt. Unreinforced concrete from WWII, in the late '80's and still strong as the day it was fully cured. The quality of concrete isn't due to conditions it's used in, it's really due to the quality of components, the sand and stone aggregates in particular. Look up concrete cancer for one example as to why.
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