Which structural failure mode most threatened Roman siege towers ('Torus' design) when approaching fortifications?

💡 Explanation

When approaching fortifications under fire, Roman siege towers experienced buckling because compressive loads increased drastically as they approached walls, concentrating the tower's entire weight onto a small base under attack. Therefore, compressive failure resulted rather than other options because these do involve significant direct vertically applied load coupled to horizontal motion/impact during motion and fortification breaching operations.

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