Bioshock & RL (possible Spoilers)

[CrazedGoblin]

I was wondering while playing the game Bioshock if it is at all possible to build the glass roofed tunnels underwater like in the game and if Rapture is structurally possible, because its very cool.

[Exeson]

It depends on the strength of the glass and how deep underwater the building is. (Because of the pressure)

I'm sure theoretically it is possible up to a certain depth.

[CrazedGoblin]

if there was a break in the glass like in the beginning of the game, where the plane tail crashed into it, wouldn't the water be a bit more violent in its entrance to the tunnel?

[adanedhel9]

It depends on the atmospheric pressure inside the structure compared to the water pressure outside. Both push on the glass from their respective sides. If either is too strong, the glass would break. The human body can easily survive several atmospheres of pressure (if introduced gradually), so it's reasonable to believe that Rapture would be pressurized to match the water pressure.

However, considering the size of the structures in Rapture, they'd probably need airlocks every few levels so that the higher-pressure lower levels don't blow out the lower-pressure higher levels.

[Mc. Lovin']

Surely the pressure would be too much ... At a shalower depth, perhaps, but not at the bottom of the sea ...

[Mewtarthio]

And especially not with WWII-era tech.

[Vespe Ratavo]

And especially not with WWII-era tech.

True, but you have to remember Rapture was built by the same people who made flying robots out of coffee cans and came up with genetic modifications that let you shoot bees.

[CrazedGoblin]

I'm guessing a lot of it wouldn't be possible from what I have seen, on a slightly different note, if the pressure inside was greater but not larger than the pressure alone required to break the glass and someone broke it would it explode outwards then rush back in or just flow in?

[Pyrian]

If the pressure inside was substantially greater (an unlikely proposition!) it would blow out until the pressure equalized. Some water would spray in, but not a flood. With a large enough hyper-pressurized "inside", that process could be awhile, which would lead to the interesting situation where air would be blowing out and water would be mostly unable to get in.

Let's see... Air weighs a lot less than water. If you equalize with an open bottom floor (standard procedure in certain equalized submersibles, starting with your basic "air-brella"), the top floor will be at nearly the same pressure on the inside as the bottom. But the water outside would have dropped off considerably. So, a burst up top would involve a lot of air escaping, while the water would fill from below.

Back on topic, I think Rapture was supposed to be considered pressurized - too deep for a reasonable equalized environment. That being said, realism isn't Bioshock's strong suit. Forget pressure, lava flows running through clear tubes? Not bloody likely. ...It's just a game, and not exactly a gritty one, IMO.

[CrazedGoblin]

cool, thanks for the information guys :smallbiggrin: