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← HistoryWhich vulnerability was most exploited for undermining castle wall structural integrity at sieges before the advent of gunpowder?
A)Thermal stress from concentrated solar heating
B)Localized collapse from undermining tunnels✓
C)Chemical weakening with concentrated acids
D)Erosion by diverting river flow
💡 Explanation
When undermining, unstable earth pressure results from creating a tunnel void close to wall foundations and the ground collapses because the foundation's ability to transmit stress is exceeded. Therefore localized collapse is the greatest vulnerability, rather than solar, acid, or erosion which require different environmental conditions and timescales.
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