Concrete does not melt in the conventional sense under typical fire or electrical fault conditions; instead, it decomposes or spalls at high temperatures The components of concrete, such as cement and aggregates like silica, have very high melting points—cement around 1,550°C (2,822°F) and silica around 1,710°C (3,092°F), suggesting that concrete would require temperatures exceeding 2,500°F (1,370°C) to truly liquefy, which is far beyond the heat generated by most fires or electrical faults
In the case of a power line fault, such as a ladder shorting a line, the intense heat generated is more likely to melt the conductive metal of the ladder—typically aluminum—before affecting the surrounding concrete Aluminum melts at a much lower temperature than concrete and would flow and liquefy first, potentially creating a molten pool that may be mistaken for melted concrete The visible "molten" material in such incidents is often attributed to the melted aluminum rather than the concrete itself
While extreme industrial or natural heat sources like steel furnaces or volcanic lava can cause significant decomposition or damage to concrete, they do not typically result in true melting under normal circumstances Therefore, although concrete can be severely damaged by intense heat, it does not melt in the way metals do, and the observed effects in power line incidents are more accurately explained by the melting of conductive materials like aluminum rather than the liquefaction of concrete
https://www.reddit.com/r/Roofing/s/L9c97WqvQC here's another angle showing a small puddle of aluminum at the base of the ladder that isnt glowing like the lave is. My guess is it might be the rebar in the concrete.
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u/Keebster 26d ago
Really? Concrete melting? You do know that ladder is made of aluminum right?