Engineer: Trump's wall is implausible

[Publius1787]

here you go Luddley , what would it take to build the border wall . --- What it would take to build Trump's border wall - CNN Video --- lots of wall talk on the board today .

Cant we just hire some retired rednecks on the cheap and have them sit in lawn chairs, drink beer, and call the border patrol when they spot something?

Not a bad idea. Maybe have the seats elevated, one seat every quarter mile or so.

Like a beach lifeguard. I'd give them rifles but the combination of beer and guns would perhaps lead to some innocent American with a really good tan getting shot. Wait, we could pay them in beer!! See, we're forming a plan.

I was thinking of military guys. if we can afford to protect south koreas border....

Yeah, but there are plenty of land mines and barbed wire on that border.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

here you go Luddley , what would it take to build the border wall . --- What it would take to build Trump's border wall - CNN Video --- lots of wall talk on the board today .

Cant we just hire some retired rednecks on the cheap and have them sit in lawn chairs, drink beer, and call the border patrol when they spot something?

Not a bad idea. Maybe have the seats elevated, one seat every quarter mile or so.

Like a beach lifeguard. I'd give them rifles but the combination of beer and guns would perhaps lead to some innocent American with a really good tan getting shot. Wait, we could pay them in beer!! See, we're forming a plan.

I was thinking of military guys. if we can afford to protect south koreas border....

The stupidity common to most on the right is remarkable.

 

[Publius1787]

here you go Luddley , what would it take to build the border wall . --- What it would take to build Trump's border wall - CNN Video --- lots of wall talk on the board today .

Cant we just hire some retired rednecks on the cheap and have them sit in lawn chairs, drink beer, and call the border patrol when they spot something?

Not a bad idea. Maybe have the seats elevated, one seat every quarter mile or so.

Like a beach lifeguard. I'd give them rifles but the combination of beer and guns would perhaps lead to some innocent American with a really good tan getting shot. Wait, we could pay them in beer!! See, we're forming a plan.

I was thinking of military guys. if we can afford to protect south koreas border....

The stupidity common to most on the right is remarkable.

Such an insightful post. With your mastery of reason and logic I now see the light.

 

[flacaltenn]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

 

[Publius1787]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

 

[jasonnfree]

here you go Luddley , what would it take to build the border wall . --- What it would take to build Trump's border wall - CNN Video --- lots of wall talk on the board today .

Cant we just hire some retired rednecks on the cheap and have them sit in lawn chairs, drink beer, and call the border patrol when they spot something?

Not a bad idea. Maybe have the seats elevated, one seat every quarter mile or so.

Like a beach lifeguard. I'd give them rifles but the combination of beer and guns would perhaps lead to some innocent American with a really good tan getting shot. Wait, we could pay them in beer!! See, we're forming a plan.

I was thinking of military guys. if we can afford to protect south koreas border....

The stupidity common to most on the right is remarkable.

So how many people are allowed to enter illegally before we call it too many? Are there no limits at all? No other country that I know of has such lenient laws as ours. Mexico doesn't, that's for sure. I'm a citizen, and if I reenter our country, I have to show a passport etc. Anyway, when is enough enough? A million a year or 3 million a year? Who eventually pays for all this?

 

[Publius1787]

Cant we just hire some retired rednecks on the cheap and have them sit in lawn chairs, drink beer, and call the border patrol when they spot something?

Not a bad idea. Maybe have the seats elevated, one seat every quarter mile or so.

Like a beach lifeguard. I'd give them rifles but the combination of beer and guns would perhaps lead to some innocent American with a really good tan getting shot. Wait, we could pay them in beer!! See, we're forming a plan.

I was thinking of military guys. if we can afford to protect south koreas border....

The stupidity common to most on the right is remarkable.

So how many people are allowed to enter illegally before we call it too many? Are there no limits at all? No other country that I know of has such lenient laws as ours. Mexico doesn't, that's for sure. I'm a citizen, and if I reenter our country, I have to show a passport etc. Anyway, when is enough enough? A million a year or 3 million a year? Who eventually pays for all this?

How many poor welfare dependent Hispanic/Latino votes does it take to permanently turn this country toward permanent Democrat rule after an amnesty bill is passed? Figure that out and you've found your answer.

 

[flacaltenn]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

An Engineer Explains Why Trump’s Wall Is So Implausible

There are very few occasions in American political discourse that require the input of a structural engineer, but when Donald Trump took a question from Univision’s Jorge Ramos regarding his proposed United States-Mexico border wall at a press conference on August 25, I heard the clarion call:


RAMOS: How are you going to build a 1,900-mile wall?
TRUMP: Very easy. I’m a builder. That’s easy. I build buildings that are — can I tell you what’s more complicated? What’s more complicated is building a building that’s 95 stories tall. Okay?


No. Donald Trump is not a builder. Donald Trump could not build a doghouse. Donald Trump is a developer who pays what he would call “very, very smart people” to build things on his behalf. His response to Ramos’ question was meant both to exaggerate his understanding of construction and to downplay the challenges posed by his border wall project.

The challenge of Trump’s border wall is not technical, but logistical. The leap in complexity between “building a wall” and “building a 2,000-mile-long continuous border wall in the desert” is about equal to the gap between “killing a guy” and “waging a protracted land war.” Trump’s border wall, if built as he has described it, would be one of the largest civil works projects in the history of the country and would face an array of challenges not found when constructing 95-story skyscrapers.

Trumpery has no intention of "building a wall" but this thread is about the logistics of this fantastical project. John Oliver's segment explained many of the same things but this is more detailed. Even fans of Trumpery's trumpery will see why most people laugh at the idea of The Great Trump Wall.

Here in the 21st century we can't build a wall?
Good thing the Chinese didn't hear that 2,700 years ago.
Israel built a 500 mile wall. Hardly an engineering feat.

Great Wall is 13,171 miles long.

Is our southern border longer than that?

And we don't need a wall nearly that high.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

We build that part on their side of the river. What do you think they could do?

 

[flacaltenn]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

We build that part on their side of the river. What do you think they could do?

Are u serious dude??

 

[flacaltenn]

I go for the crocodile -- piranha option and save a bit of cash..

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

We build that part on their side of the river. What do you think they could do?

Are u serious dude??

Don't I look serious?

I mean, hey, they sent all their riff-raff to our side of the river. It's the least they could do.

 

[Publius1787]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

Nope, No problem at all. But we could dam it up so as to create a natural barrier. Nah, its too shallow isn't it? Yeah, I'm not really planning on soaking my feet in the Rio. Screw it.

 

[Publius1787]

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

We build that part on their side of the river. What do you think they could do?

Are u serious dude??

Don't I look serious?

I mean, hey, they sent all their riff-raff to our side of the river. It's the least they could do.

Be careful, they'll send Santa Anna corpse across to get his ass whooped again. But do you really want the Rio Grande? Have you seen how dirty that river is? Whatever environmental concerns may be held the river is garbage to begin with. Not necessarily a big loss. Then again it would be a lot more cleaner if we kept the illegal filth out of it. I love it when illegal migrant advocates speak about the environment. They are the #1 source of filth along the border.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

We build that part on their side of the river. What do you think they could do?

Are u serious dude??

Don't I look serious?

I mean, hey, they sent all their riff-raff to our side of the river. It's the least they could do.

Be careful, they'll send Santa Anna corpse across to get his ass whooped again. But do you really want the Rio Grande? Have you seen how dirty that river is? Whatever environmental concerns may be held the river is garbage to begin with. Not necessarily a big loss. Then again it would be a lot more cleaner if we kept the illegal filth out of it. I love it when illegal migrant advocates speak about the environment. They are the #1 source of filth along the border.

I haven't been down there since 1972. Didn't like it much then.

 

[pismoe]

Cant we just hire some retired rednecks on the cheap and have them sit in lawn chairs, drink beer, and call the border patrol when they spot something?

Not a bad idea. Maybe have the seats elevated, one seat every quarter mile or so.

Like a beach lifeguard. I'd give them rifles but the combination of beer and guns would perhaps lead to some innocent American with a really good tan getting shot. Wait, we could pay them in beer!! See, we're forming a plan.

I was thinking of military guys. if we can afford to protect south koreas border....

The stupidity common to most on the right is remarkable.

So how many people are allowed to enter illegally before we call it too many? Are there no limits at all? No other country that I know of has such lenient laws as ours. Mexico doesn't, that's for sure. I'm a citizen, and if I reenter our country, I have to show a passport etc. Anyway, when is enough enough? A million a year or 3 million a year? Who eventually pays for all this?

---------------------------------------- ALL immigration should be stopped , no one has a RIGHT to immigrate to the USA Jason .

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I'm not.

I have no doubt that we could build a 12K mile wall over a period of more than 2000 years.

With todays equipment and materials, I'm fairly sure we could build one in far less time.

Weatherman was talking about a wall that did indeed take 2000 years to build. There is no comparison between the two.

I'm not.

I have no doubt that we could build a 12K mile wall over a period of more than 2000 years.

Obviously your under 35. No imagination, education or ambition.

My WHAT is under 35?
I'm twice that, well educated and ambitious enough to have worked since I was 13 and am now comfortably retired.

Its the Trumpery followers who don't have the gumption to address even one point in the links.

No, I did not say
"Look, he's an engineer".
Nor did I attack anyone's grammar or spelling.

The engineer made his points. Not one of the a trump fans has the integrity or courage to address any of them.

Step 1. Get funding
Step 2. Make a phone call. Better yet, call these guys. United States Army Corps of Engineers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .
Step 3. Supervise
Step 4. Laugh at you.

And then there's this jerk ^^ who lives in LaLaLand.

Stop humping Trumpery's leg and have the courage and integrity to address the points in the links.

I'll check back to see if any of you could but I doubt it.

The points in the links? It's your job to make the points of your own argument. What kind of academic laziness is this? Your essentially saying "Trumps an asshole because, cause, cause, well, read the damn link." Funny though, I thought liberals loved massive job creating stimulus projects. I guess they don't when it prevents possible future welfare recipient democrat voters into the U.S.

IOW, you can't understand the facts and schematics either.

I apologize for posting something that is so far over the heads of the trumpkins.

G'night kiddies.

Oh? You got wall schematics? Do show!! I'd ask for facts but they seem to be in short supply. I'd be willing to view one of your schematics on how you intend to find some more facts.

I already posted them.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

For example:

"Twelve million, six hundred thousand cubic yards. In other words, this wall would contain over three times the amount of concrete used to build the Hoover Dam — a project that, unlike Trump’s wall, has qualitative, verifiable economic benefits.


Such a wall would be greater in volume than all six pyramids of the Giza Necropolis — and it is unlikely that a concrete slab in the town of Dead Dog Valley, Texas would inspire the same timeless sense of wonder.


That quantity of concrete could pave a one-lane road from New York to Los Angeles, going the long way around the Earth, which would probably be just as useful."

Oh cut the drama Luddly. It's an engineering "give me" compared to what the Chinese did centuries ago...
This is silly..

The REALITY STOPPER for the wall lies in OTHER concerns. Like for instance, it cuts off the USA from the Rio Grande for about 500 miles of border. Destroys ecological zones and species movement. By the time the EPA is done with the studies and the paperwork -- the Turumph will have lost interest. OR claimed waivers to all the PRACTICAL concerns on the basis of National Security..

National security considerations trumps environmental concerns every time. The real impediment is getting the money out of Congress.

So you have NO PROBLEM with cutting the USA off from 500 miles of access to the Rio Grande? Or is the wall gonna go RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the river??

Look at the map shown in the John Oliver segment. It has been posted many times here and avail at his site as well as all over the InterWebs.

 

[bodecea]

An Engineer Explains Why Trump’s Wall Is So Implausible

There are very few occasions in American political discourse that require the input of a structural engineer, but when Donald Trump took a question from Univision’s Jorge Ramos regarding his proposed United States-Mexico border wall at a press conference on August 25, I heard the clarion call:


RAMOS: How are you going to build a 1,900-mile wall?
TRUMP: Very easy. I’m a builder. That’s easy. I build buildings that are — can I tell you what’s more complicated? What’s more complicated is building a building that’s 95 stories tall. Okay?


No. Donald Trump is not a builder. Donald Trump could not build a doghouse. Donald Trump is a developer who pays what he would call “very, very smart people” to build things on his behalf. His response to Ramos’ question was meant both to exaggerate his understanding of construction and to downplay the challenges posed by his border wall project.

The challenge of Trump’s border wall is not technical, but logistical. The leap in complexity between “building a wall” and “building a 2,000-mile-long continuous border wall in the desert” is about equal to the gap between “killing a guy” and “waging a protracted land war.” Trump’s border wall, if built as he has described it, would be one of the largest civil works projects in the history of the country and would face an array of challenges not found when constructing 95-story skyscrapers.

Trumpery has no intention of "building a wall" but this thread is about the logistics of this fantastical project. John Oliver's segment explained many of the same things but this is more detailed. Even fans of Trumpery's trumpery will see why most people laugh at the idea of The Great Trump Wall.

Here in the 21st century we can't build a wall?
Good thing the Chinese didn't hear that 2,700 years ago.
Israel built a 500 mile wall. Hardly an engineering feat.

In the fantasy world where Drumpf wins the election and actually keeps his promise to build a wall....I would look forward to watching the reaction of the RWrs with the increase in taxation and government to pay for and to build the wall.