The Hyperloop: Strength and Swiftness
The strongest metal in our known universe? Tungsten. It has the highest melting point and highest tensile strength (that’s the point at which it will begin to warp) of any of our pure metals.
But we don’t want to talk about tungsten. We want to talk about steel.
First of all, steel is the strongest alloy, which is a combination of elements—in this case, iron and carbon. Where tungsten is brittle and quite difficult to work with (we once had a boss whose nickname was Tungsten), steel is quite versatile. In our specifications charts for Rental and Used yard ramp inventory, you’ll see variables like Capacity, Width, and Length. In short, each of these ramps precisely involves manipulation of the steel in its molten form to meet design requirements.
One of the many fascinating aspects in this regard is that we’re able to move an object made of steel, our strongest alloy. And simply so. Wheels make that happen, with relative ease.
This is even more impressive, considering that the average weight range of our portable loading docks is 4,159 to 6,884 pounds (the average weight of a compact car is 3,000 pounds, and an SUV averages 4,500 pounds).
So, heavy stuff here, lightened by wheels. And yet: what if air could move objects faster and more efficiently?
The inventor Elon Musk is working on a “fifth” mode of transportation. Along with his ambitious plans for space exploration, he also has his eye on the Hyperloop, a train for both passengers and freight employing pneumatic tubes levitating above track lines and propelling on a cushion of air.
The projected speed is an average of 600 miles per hour. Which would get you—if not your wits—from Los Angeles to San Francisco in about 35 minutes.
Aside from being part of this fascinating industrial league of steel alloy applications, what’s our angle and interest here? The rail platform on which the Hyperloop would move: steel. That is, our strongest alloy would provide the foundation for our fastest mass transit.
The same stuff of which our yard ramps are made.
From the first application of ramps in recorded history to the Hyperloop transportation project, the yard ramp industry works steadily—in all-important yet unobtrusive ways—to help people and their businesses move forward.
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Quotable
Yes, McCoy Fields . . .we find the alphabetical quote-off just F-ascinating:
