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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPrototype for Trump's steel border-wall was destroyed with a metal-saw during test.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/test-steel-prototype-border-wall-showed-it-could-be-sawed-n956856A photo exclusively obtained by NBC News shows the results of the test after military and Border Patrol personnel were instructed to attempt to destroy the barriers with common tools.
The Trump administration directed the construction of eight steel and concrete prototype walls that were built in Otay Mesa, California, just across the border from Tijuana, Mexico. Trump inspected the prototypes in March 2018. He has now settled on a steel slat, or steel bollard, design for the proposed border barrier additions. Steel bollard fencing has been used under previous administrations.
However, testing by DHS in late 2017 showed all eight prototypes, including the steel slats, were vulnerable to breaching, according to an internal February 2018 U.S. Customs and Border Protection report.
Siwsan
(26,333 posts)3_Limes
(363 posts)Sure looks like a torch cut this steel. Which may just be picking nits, but there is a difference.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)underpants
(183,043 posts)That would be a hellava lot of sawing too.
nolabear
(42,005 posts)Apparently what could be carried with immigrants.
LakeSuperiorView
(1,533 posts)I agree, there are indications of torch burned steel there.
Nothing is going to stop breeches in a 2000 mile fence.
Mosby
(16,422 posts)And they make portable torches.
A battery operated reciprocating saw could also work.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)bdamomma
(63,974 posts)walls are meant to come down.
We got a shutdown going on which is crippling people.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Like everything else associated with the name... expensive and crappy.
underpants
(183,043 posts)demmiblue
(36,920 posts)bluestarone
(17,128 posts)This would help BUT not stop this.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Maybe thickness would, but how much money is Trump going to spend on an idiotic idea?
eppur_se_muova
(36,317 posts)Maybe SNL can take a whack at a commercial ....
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)MineralMan
(146,351 posts)blade will cut through that stuff just fine. Now, there are steel alloys for which that isn't true, but they're way too expensive for such use. I remember buying a boat trailer a few years ago. I needed to shorten the tongue of the trailer by six inches. It was made of 4" steel square tubing, about the weight of the steel in that photo.
Making the cut took roughly 45 seconds with a cheap reciprocating saw from Harbor Freight. Mine was a corded model, but the rechargable portable ones work just as well. The saw cost $35. The six inch long metal cutting blade cost about $5. It went through that steel, which is similar in grade to what I see in that photo, with no problem at all. I was surprised, frankly.
A disk-type grinder would also work, and those grinders are also available at Harbor Freight for about the same price.
If that's the best they can come up with, they'll pose little real barrier effect to border crosssers.