For those not already opposed to President Trump’s proposed border wall for ethical reasons, a big hurdle is its (likely) staggering cost. The sheer length of the thing makes it pricey, and the irregular terrain and harsh climate of some of the regions bisected by the US/Mexico border would raise the price tag even higher.
To get a better feel for the realities of the wall, a team at the The Warsaw University of Technology led by Tadeusz Zwolinski and Mateusz Mucha spent six weeks putting together a calculator.
“Each user can set main parameters like length, height or placement of guards,” the explain. “People interested in greater details could click on ‘advanced mode’ and build ‘own wall’ by setting a size of panels, crane operator's wage or cost of reinforced concrete.”
Some might argue that since the calculator assists in the possibility of constructing the wall, it is itself problematic. But others might just find it interesting to play around with. Check it out here.
1 Comment
What we could do with the money, I get it. But at least base it on real construction costs based on a real design as opposed to an ill- considered unengineered sketchup fantasy.
The supposition here is that the wall could be built for around the cost of a rural 4-lane road ($6 million per mile). Assuming a real design, logistical issues, graft and corruption, etc., a real budget is probably around $50B.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.