Thermal concrete (also called thermocrete and thermoconcrete) was a building material like concrete that was mostly silicon. It was used by various races to build quick shelters.
Specifics[]
Thermocrete was tougher than 20th century concrete and lasted 15% longer. It was a semi-synthetic formulation that could be wetted to various consistencies, including a slurry for castings or doughy for repairs. Its strength was based on chemical reactions in its makeup rather than the quantity of water added to it. After setting, it could be built on immediately, and after cooling was not prone to dusting or cracking.
Engineers could build a thermocrete structure within an hour using pre-made forms and excavators. Because it contained a large concentration of silicon, thermocrete also made an excellent insulator. (Stardate Magazine vol. 2 (1985), Issue 9: "Quartermaster Corps: Thermocrete")
An underground bunker in the House of Martok's compound had reinforced thermocrete walls that could withstand a disruptor blast from a Klingon bird-of-prey fired at point blank range. (DS9 novel: The Left Hand of Destiny)
History[]
23rd century con-deep rig platforms like Arcadia Explorer on Sirsa III were built atop duranium-reinforced thermoconcrete to withstand earthquakes and strikes by icebergs. (DSC novel: Desperate Hours)
The Klingon research facility on Zeta Aurigae IV was built using reinforced thermocrete. Starfleet Intelligence agent Bridget McLellan was able to escape past the thermocrete wall by blasting a hole in the wall with her phaser. (VAN - Declassified novella: The Stars Look Down)
In 2267, Leonard McCoy repaired a Horta's wounds with thermal concrete. (TOS episode & Star Trek 4 novelization: The Devil in the Dark)
Marla McGivers' tomb was made of thermoconcrete. (TOS novel: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh)
On Daran V, most of the buildings in District L in the capital city of Daraniss were made out of a particularly poor grade of thermocrete. As a result, by the mid 2280s, many were in some state of disrepair. (FASA RPG module: Old Soldiers Never Die)
The Andorian Science Institute was originally constructed with thermocrete to be a weather station. By 2385, however, some of it had cracked. (ST - The Fall novel: A Ceremony of Losses)
Barracks in the Olanda labor camp on Jevalan were made with thermocrete. (ST - The Fall novel: Peaceable Kingdoms)
The Federation embassy in the Pi-3 Orionis system was made with thermocrete. (TNG - Cold Equations novel: Silent Weapons)
See also[]
Appendices[]
References[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 4 novelization: The Devil in the Dark
- Stardate Magazine vol. 2 (1985), Issue 9: "Quartermaster Corps: Thermocrete"
- FASA RPG module: Old Soldiers Never Die
- DS9 novel: The Left Hand of Destiny
- TOS novel: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh
- TOS novel: Burning Dreams
- VAN - Declassified novella: The Stars Look Down
- TNG - Cold Equations novel: Silent Weapons
- ST - The Fall novel: A Ceremony of Losses
- ST - The Fall novel: Peaceable Kingdoms
- DSC novel: Desperate Hours
External link[]
- Thermal concrete article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.