#because they're not added to building codes and for legal reasons no one will try a better item unless it's in the codes

[conked-crete]

What's in a reliable structure?

Not a lot of holes, for one.

Funny thing about concrete constructions: people tend to think stronger = better, more long-lasting. You might see ads boasting about the strength of cement, or the toughness of steel. They're not wrong, per se, but they're not exactly right either.

Strength doesn't always mean it'll last long. All it can take is one leaky pipe for a swanky new high-rise to have chunks of concrete flaking off the walls in a year. The water from the leaky pipe can seep through the tiny tiny holes littered throughout the concrete, find its way to the steel rods embedded within, and start corroding them. Give it some time to acquaint itself well with the rods, and you'll soon have rusted steel excitedly peeking though from cracks in the walls or ceiling. It doesn't matter how strong your foundation is, if the walls won't stay up.

So what really matters, if not the strength? The holes. Durability of concrete is almost entirely linked to the tiny pores present in it. The better connected these pores are, the worse off concrete is. Because almost every issue that affects concrete boils down to water (or sometimes other chemicals, like chlorides or carbon dioxide, yes, the gas) trickling through the connected network of pores. Block off the channels connecting the pores, and the water is contained and kinda stuck in time-out, where it can't do much harm. You want durable concrete? Focus on the pores.

But what controls the pores? Well, the answer to that goes into the chemistry of cement's interaction with water, and also how well you treat concrete during construction. (Concrete can be quite a diva, and too much or too little of the same thing can be bad.) But there are some things that can done to pretty reliable make concrete less hole-y, like adding fly ash or slag (which comes with the added bonus of using up industry wastes and reducing the burden on landfills!). These kinds of additions result in chemical reactions happening months after laying the concrete, so any pores that are present will get a little smaller in time, making the concrete as a whole more dense and more resistant to water sneaking in to wreck stuff later (hashtag just gals gatekeeping water, hashtag i regret saying that).

(There's a whole field of study devoted to making concrete better while also making it more environmentally-friendly, actually, so there's a LOT of options if you dig deeper into this!)

But I did say people aren't /wrong/ when they associate strength with lasting long, so what's with that? Well, a happy coincidence. When you shrink the pores in concrete you'll essentially replacing the empty bits with stronger stuff. Naturally, that will increase the strength as well. It just so happens that the same way to make concrete more durable is also the way to make it stronger, so stronger = more durable makes sense in this case.

I almost exclusively see people talking about strength while comparing concrete. Even building codes will specify only strength requirements (so you're safe from a stray sledge hammer or superhero throwing a truck at your super strong building, sure, and I suppose you're then expected to hope your super strong building is protected from vicious chemicals like water by thoughts and prayers I guess?). And to be fair, there are some safeguards put into place in codes - if you're in a very cold region or by the coast, where there's more risk of chemical attack or damage from ice, your concrete likely has some safeguards added in to make it last. In some other areas, additions like fly ash, which make concrete more durable, are mandatory for environmental protection reasons rather than exclusively for durability, but hey, a win's a win. But by and large, durability is a happy coincidence that tends to come with high strength.

the strength-durability correlation that's usually assumed has worked out alright so far, but it's not a fool-proof method. Obviously, it makes sense to properly and explicitly include durability considerations while designing a structure. Promisingly, there's been a push towards a strength+durability framework in concrete design of late, so here's hoping it gets adopted more widely and makes it into building codes soon. Because until it enters the building codes, durability will not be a consideration while building a regular home.

[ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic]

Part 4 - Chapter 5 - Fresh Start

Blank Canvas Part 4

AO3 - here

Fanfiction.net - here

Greetings, dear readers! We're back with another update! And this is kind of a celebratory one on my part.

If you don't follow the tumblr or don't use the discord, I've been having a stressful month since last update. Once again someone posted part 1 of BC as a podfic on youtube without my permission. This time wasn't as cut and dry as the first because I had to seek legal consultation on what I needed to do. I've worked really hard on this fic and am not afraid to fight for it. Anyway, despite the stress, the video has been removed. However I need to state for the record that I do not and did not give DN WhatIf permission to post my work. Same for Plush Books from the first time. This statement has already been added to part 1 and I will add that to the others as well.

So there's that. Anywayz, here is a fun chapter for you. We've got more teenage shenanigans because they're all just a bunch of kids who need to blow off steam. Let the kids be kids. :)

Warnings for teasing of course because they're kids. :P There's some gossip sharing with the girls but not exactly teasing. There might be snippets here and there but not many note worthy. There is one at ["You made sure..."] that's a bit stronger. That's about it though.

Linktree to all the things!

End notes for the chapter are under the line.

Izuku's got a new do! Again, I love undercut Izuku. He's so stylish! I will say I know nothing about cutting hair and just went with what I found via google. I haven't ever really experienced the use of clippers, but I based the feeling off of when they did that weird headphone thing for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at I think Disneyland. It was a special version of it and you got to experience audibly someone walking into the room from the back, a fly buzzing in your ear, and getting a haircut. It made my hair raise and skin crawl because it sounded so real. Just so weird but an interesting experience.

Got some gossip going on. Ashido is the gossip queen. Also it was fun messing around with Izuku being one of the girls. They're a fun group that need more love. ^____^

Still some tension when it comes to Katsuki and Izuku. But for me, since Kamino there's a shaky bridge build between them. Still needs some structural work but it's there.

More ShinKami bonding! :D With Minecraft. I like to play that and actually it was the first video game I bought myself. Anyway, when I mentioned Kami announcing 'iron!' when finding it is something I do. :P I also like to use cheat codes personally. Sometimes I just want to play and don't need a challenge.

When it comes to Izuku having OFA, I believe the ones who know about it are Aizawa, Nezu, Tsukauchi, All Might, Gran Torino, Recovery Girl, and Shouto. Oh and probs Hound Dog for therapy purposes and Midnight for backup in case Aizawa isn't there. And then that group plus the Kamino rescue kiddos know about AFO being Hisashi.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This actually spans past Japan but the symbolism of cutting one's hair off. We see it a lot when a character is trying to cut ties with their past. Like in Avatar: The Last Airbender with Iroh and Zuko or in Tangled with Rapunzel. For various different reasons. But it's about cutting off what is hurting you and starting over as a new you.

There are Japanese origins to the tradition though going back to the samurai. Their traditional hair style called chonmage ( 丁髷 , ちょんまげ ) was a status symbol. If they were to leave their post, whether by choice or dishonor, they would cut the top knot off. In modern times, sumo wrestlers have a retirement ceremony that involves cutting it off as well.

There's more to it than that but just a gist. Here are some more links you can check out if you'd like. :)

Another fun fact is the Japanese tendency to do the group gasp. Like seriously it is very much a thing. I think I mentioned this back during the USJ in part 1 but we'll put it here as well. The funniest one I experienced was in Harry Potter world down in USJ in Osaka. We were in the wand room and I was the only foreigner in there. And every freaking time something magical would happen they all together would ooh! and aah! and ooo! and eeeh?! as a group. And I'm just doing my best to keep quiet giggling to myself while the team member running the show is trying to save face even though he was clearly amused by my amusement of them doing that. It was just so funny and endearing!

Got one more for ya, though this one is not so fun. For the students at least and that is summer homework. It is indeed a thing that they have to do every summer to keep up with their studies. In Japan, summer break is roughly two months I believe. From around endish of July through part way through September. In that time, the expectation is for students to complete their homework and attend to club activities.

Alrighty! That's all for this chapter. I want to thank you all for your continued readership if you've stuck with me this far. Next up we'll be moving on plot wise and going into training for the provisional licensing exam. Until then, stay safe, be well, and try not to do anything illegal. :P