this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2026
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Technology
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Is there a civil engineer here who would know what degree of damage will this cause?
Pretty minor. If they picked up the whole data center and soaked it in a large jug of 10% acetic acid for about nine months, the concrete would lose about 20% of its strength.
Not sure about the civil engineering side, but I assume there's enough safety factor in your average construction to account for 20% strength loss.
That safety margin is supposed to last many years, though. If it's removed before the building is even constructed, it might have to be re-poured.
Yeah, but we're talking about literally soaking the entire building in concentrated vinegar for months, not throwing a water balloon of regular vinegar at it. This particular case probably didn't do anything
Fair enough
Not an engineer but vinegar (ascetic acid) at full strength applied early enough during curing could be a problem. If it's the watered down stuff for home use and the concrete was already partially cured it wouldn't do almost anything.