"dpb" wrote in message ...
SteveB wrote:
...
As an aside (something probably totally irrelevant and not to do with
this discussion), I have seen and fixed LOTS of spindles in ornamental
metal railings and fences that were burst from freezing. When
constructed, the ends were not welded totally shut, and water infiltrated
from somewhere. It is amazing to look at these burst tubes, as they are
burst in all places. At the top, the bottom, in the middle, everywhere.
One would think that the water would migrate to the low point, and freeze
there. Yet there are obvious bursts in the middle of six foot sections.
Maybe that's just the point at which it started freezing after filling
the tube half full. And this was in the temperate climate of Las Vegas,
and it's not that cold there.

Point is, freeze bursting may be totally predictable and scientific and
explainable, but from my observations, it burst in some pretty weird
places.

If one had the local tube thickness, weld strength/lack, etc., etc., etc.,
... as well as the water infill pattern it would undoubtedly make more
sense. Simply looking w/o analyzing all the factors would make the
cause/effect relationship difficult to pick out, no question...

You forgot the anal temperature of the inspector.

Steve