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← HistoryWhich outcome occurred when Roman siege engines launched projectiles at city walls built using opus caementicium (Roman concrete)?
A)Localized crushing from high impact force✓
B)Wall deformation due to plastic yielding
C)Brittle fracture from rapid temperature change
D)Uniform distribution of stress through the structure
💡 Explanation
When siege engines impacted Roman concrete walls, localized crushing occurred because the material, while strong in compression, had relatively low tensile strength, causing highly concentrated stresses at the point of impact. Therefore localized crushing resulted, rather than yielding, fracture, or uniform stress, which contradict the properties of the concrete and the mechanics of impact.
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