[HN Gopher] Non-explosive demolition agents
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       Non-explosive demolition agents
        
       Author : praptak
       Score  : 26 points
       Date   : 2024-01-20 19:15 UTC (3 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (en.wikipedia.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (en.wikipedia.org)
        
       | ChuckMcM wrote:
       | And not a single link where to buy them :-). The only non-
       | explosive demolition agent I've used is composed of 'oak
       | seedlings'. Wherein you plant an oak tree and its roots go out
       | and demolish sidewalks, foundations, etc all around it. Takes a
       | while though. :-).
       | 
       | What I'm missing from that article though is the _application_
       | process I guess. We would get water freezing in pipes that would
       | ooze out the tops (if the pipes were sealed they would fracture
       | but not if the pipes were open). How would one  'seal' the bore
       | such that the expansive force of the agent used was directed
       | outward toward the thing you were breaking up rather than popping
       | out of the bore hole right back at you?
        
         | amelius wrote:
         | It expands in all directions so it locks itself in place.
        
         | robocat wrote:
         | Presumably it hardens first to self-seal and then slowly the
         | solid expands?
         | 
         | But this[1] documentation implies it can expand as a liquid:
         | "Forceful BLOWOUTS may occur once mixed with water! Keep safe
         | distance. DO NOT look directly into filled holes. Use of
         | Dexpan(r) in hot weather could increase chances of blowouts. DO
         | NOT pour into hot holes. Use iced water in summer.".
         | 
         | [1]
         | https://images.thdstatic.com/catalog/pdfImages/1d/1dc6a35d-8...
        
         | WJW wrote:
         | Here you go mate: https://www.dexpan.com/collections/dexpan-
         | demolition-agent/p...
         | 
         | 45 dollars for an 11 lb bucket of "expansive demolition grout".
        
       | buildsjets wrote:
       | Demolition Grout.
       | 
       | https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dexpan-11-lb-Bucket-Type-2-50F-7...
        
         | unnamed76ri wrote:
         | I'm kind of surprised environmental or social activists haven't
         | used this product to destroy statues. Not advocating for it but
         | busting things up seems a little more newsworthy than gluing
         | yourself to stuff.
        
           | djmips wrote:
           | You'd have to spend a lot of time drilling holes in a very
           | hard material and awkwardly pouring the product into the
           | holes. Not exactly a discreet way to destroy something.
        
       | v7n wrote:
       | A legend says you could place some diesel or similar fuel in the
       | drilled hole before topping it off with this stuff, presumably
       | leaving some air in between, to enhance the effect by igniting
       | the fuel as the pressure and temperature rise. I can't attest to
       | the effectiveness, legality or safety of this method.
        
         | RyJones wrote:
         | What is the Monroe effect, and why is it important?
        
       | surfingdino wrote:
       | Small kids' saliva. Ivy and other climbing plants. Termites.
        
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