Grand staircase what if?

[Willow Sinclair]

I was rewatching some wreck exploration footage and had a what-if thought. Several teak pieces still survive to this day on the ship. What if the grand staircase had been made entirely of teak rather than oak? Would it have survived? Or would it still have broken up?

 

[Lloyd Penfold]

I would think that by now any timber remaining would have little or no strength left, there is no way to tell if the 'surviving pieces' are anything more than shells of their former existence, possibly just paint or varnish coatings. I have seen pictures of sunken vessels where the deck planking has completely disappeared, yet the caulking between the planks survives as lines on the metal plates giving the appearance that the wooden deck is still there.

 

[Willow Sinclair]

well thats interesting! thanks for the reply