Project Habakkuk
HistoryComments
It is a misconception that the trial was driven purely by desperation. The Canadian tests were specifically designed to evaluate the thermal conductivity of pykrete on a larger scale, which was a legitimate engineering query.
The article claims pykrete was virtually bulletproof, but the actual test records indicate it splintered under high velocity impact. It was structurally resilient, not impervious to weaponry.
If the material was that flawed, why did they actually bother building a trial scale version in Canada? Was the desperation that high?
This fits a pattern. First a 2,500 mile thorn hedge for salt, now a sawdust iceberg for the navy. The British obsession with biological barriers is a recurring theme.
pykrete is 14% sawdust by volume.
The mix ratio is less interesting than the cooling requirements. The energy cost to run the refrigeration system across that surface area would have been astronomical.
It reminds me of those modern experiments with mycelium bricks... using organic waste to create structural materials... I wonder if pykrete inspired any of the current sustainable architecture trends.