On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 17:50:14 +1300 Lawrence D'Oliveiro
wrote:

In article ,
Jim Adney wrote:

A hollow circular arrangement, even helical, would only be an unstable
equilibrium. Any perturbation would cause it to collapse.

Tell that to your water pipes, your chimney, tubular car chassis
members, and all kinds of other hollow building components where
strength and lightness are both required.

Those are all solid parts, except possibly for the chimney. I
completely agree that solid tubular construction is one of the best
ways to go.

This discussion started with a collection of round wires arranged in a
circle, forming a kind of tubular structure to be used in a HV long
distance transmission line. Then someone suggested making the wires
flat with tongue and grooves, and finally someone suggested making the
wires keystone shaped. Each of these suggestions adds some stability
to the concept, but I'd still be surprised if it could be strung like
this and still just be supported occasionally by the usual HV
transmission towers. I'd be happy to be proven wrong, however.

I don't think my chimney, or yours, would hold up well if we tried to
lay it on its side and then lift it from the middle. ;-)

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Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
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