What is the sturdiest mankind has built that can withstand mother nature?

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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,823
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Housing pretty much downhill since we left the cave.

Cave => stone => brick => wood => straw bale

It's like reading The Three Little Pigs backwards.
 

marvdmartian

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2002
5,444
27
91
Aircraft carriers are normally steered around major storms, but could easily survive one. Question is, why would you purposely go through a storm, if you don't have to?

WW2 aircraft carriers went through Pacific typhoons (hurricanes) more than once, and they were 2/3 the size of modern super carriers.

So far as what we've made, that could handle earthquakes, my first answer would be the Golden Gate bridge. It has survived plenty of earthquakes, including the Loma Prieta quake of 1989, measured at ~7 on the Richter scale.
 

IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,655
688
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Actually proven? Pyramids probably.

The core structure perhaps, but the Pyramids have sustained pretty heavy damage from earthquakes over the years. Keep in mind that what we see today is the internal structure. The external smooth facade was mostly knocked off in earthquakes.
 
Feb 6, 2007
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The pyramids at Giza immediately leap to mind. They've withstood thousands of years of the elements, primarily because they were built by people who were clever enough to figure out that certain places don't make for great longevity. If you build something where there are volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, landslides, flash floods, avalanches, wild fires or Mormons, your structure will eventually be destroyed. The moral of the story? Everything should be built at Giza.
 

brainhulk

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2007
9,376
454
126
The pyramids at Giza immediately leap to mind. They've withstood thousands of years of the elements, primarily because they were built by people who were clever enough to figure out that certain places don't make for great longevity. If you build something where there are volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, landslides, flash floods, avalanches, wild fires or Mormons, your structure will eventually be destroyed. The moral of the story? Everything should be built at Giza.

lol, whut? all they do is knock on your door during supper and engage in group sex. they don't destroy stuff
 

ussfletcher

Platinum Member
Apr 16, 2005
2,569
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81
The sturdiest structure we have, that we know of, is the Cheyenne Mountain complex.
 

Rudee

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
11,218
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Empty tractor trailers are not that heavy at all, and they're constructed of light weight materials. Not that big of a deal to see a tornado pick them up in the air.