this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2026
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xkcd #3279: Main Span

Title text:

Wind stress? Don't be silly. When has wind stress ever been a problem for a suspension bridge?

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3279/

explainxkcd for #3279

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[–] nitroemdash@lemmy.wtf 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

At 99°C (210°F) the lift power of hot air balloon is 0.25 kg per m³. Pillars supporting a four kilometre long suspension bridge section are under 200 MN vertical load, or 20 million kg. The air balloon would have to be 80 million m³ large, or 534 m (⅓mi) in diameter.