this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2026
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Mildly Interesting

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Most bridges here do, and often when one needs to be demolished and rebuilt, the military blows it up just for practice.

Edit: Source for the sceptics

The deep demolition, which became a central element in Finnish post-war demolition tactics, and especially the development of readiness to counter surprise attacks that emerged as a threat scenario in the 1960s, received significant support immediately after the wars. The decision concerning structural demolition preparations for bridges was made on January 15, 1946. These preparations meant building charge wells, charge chambers, charge pipes, and charge hooks. Authorities responsible for constructing bridges were required to include the aforementioned structures in their plans, which significantly improved the readiness to destroy the bridges.

If it was not possible to place the charge space inside the abutment or pier, charge hooks could be embedded in the supports during the casting phase, to which the charges could then be attached.

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[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 54 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Plenty of bridges built in Sweden during the cold war has the openings in the foundation for the same purpose.

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 21 points 1 month ago (3 children)

That sounds a lot more efficient. Just hanging the explosives isn't going to direct the energy very well.

[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 43 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Here's a nearby railroad bridge with an opening left for the explosives instead of hooks. Different bridges use different methods.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 20 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Thats the same design the bridges here in Austria/Vienna over the Danube have; cold war planning was to delay while our military retreats into the mountains, the plains were thought to be indefensible. Looking at Ukraine will have changed a lot of minds regarding defense planning.

[–] Mirshe@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Not necessarily. Drones can level a position or terrorize civilians, but you can't securely hold that position or occupy territory with them. For now, there is no replacement in that job - your infantry and armor are still doing that work.

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[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Could as well be a bridge in Germany.

I always thought that's where the shock absorbers are placed to distribute shock (duh) and load.

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[–] BremboTheFourth@piefed.ca 3 points 1 month ago

Maybe that's the point? You need to be able to blow the bridge, but you don't want some asshole to be able to make some homemade explosive to blow it just because they feel like it

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[–] StillAlive@piefed.world 37 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I have heard the same thing about semiconductor factories in Taiwan. Don't know if it's true or urban legend. 

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 23 points 1 month ago

Wouldn't surprise me - their chip foundries are the most robust defense they have. If they were gone, Taiwan would be "just another Island that will cause you loads of headache internationally and because of a nearly guaranteed resistance - and you expended a lot of resources for it on top"

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They’re 100% going scorched earth if China manages to make landfall

They’ll literally put the world to a post-apocalyptic state, we can’t get new chips for any electronics in quantity for a good half decade or more.

[–] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 month ago

I wouldn't say post-apocalyptic. Yes, we won't have access to performant new chips anymore, but most critical infrastructure doesn't need performant new chips. It would be a rough period, for sure, but not apocalyptic

And if worst came to worst, the military/government could requisition consumer equipment, or less critical business equipment

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 24 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (4 children)

Cold-War era strategic Autobahn segments in West Germany had covered shafts at regular intervals.
Rumors had it that they were supposed to be fitted with small tactical nukes in the case the Sowjet tanks were on the verge of crossing the border...

Edit:
Found the relevant Wikipedia article (only in German, though...):
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra-Paket

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 23 points 1 month ago (4 children)

There were also plans to bury nuclear landmines stuffed with chickens across Germany.

Britain: Some of you will be reduced to nuclear ash, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

[–] Test_Tickles@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Today I learned something new, and it was completely insane. Thank you.

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 month ago

I never expected to read the term "chicken powered nuclear bomb" in a serious Wikipedia article. Yet here we go!

BTW, I think we have left the mildly interesting context by now... :-)

[–] Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Thank you for that link. Now I'm surprised I haven't seen it used in a meme yet.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 3 points 1 month ago

Be the change you want to see in the world.

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[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 20 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Isn't that a swiss thing as well?

[–] FundMECFS@piefed.zip 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah cold war logic was paranoid. Nuclear bunkers in essentially every building built during the cold war, highway segements were built with fighter jet landing capabilities. And yeah I believe many bridges have explosive “capabilities”.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 18 points 1 month ago (6 children)

I call that pragmatic, not paranoid.

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[–] Frostbeard@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Norway as well

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

We still have furrows with ca. 1 meter cement blocks all over the place in Switzerland. They are usually full of shrubs and valuable ecological niches. Also a great defence against Panzers.

[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I thought you had exploding roads.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (4 children)

I've read it described as "bridges, tunnels, roads and airstrips". It makes sense to diversify.

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[–] Get_Off_My_WLAN@fedia.io 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Similarly in South Korea as well, there are a bunch of overpasses that are just filled with rocks to drop in case they need to deny the roads against an invasion.

[–] julianwgs@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 month ago

Same for tunnels in Germany

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (8 children)

Could you give me a source for this?

Preferably a Finnish one. Not by language (although am Finnish so not an issue) but like a reliable source in Finland documenting that's what they're for?

I know we do have lots of infra designed "in case of Russian attack", mainly the direction of roads on the eastern border, but I'd like to read up on this blowing bridges shit.

[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm not sure if this is something you'll find an official source for as FDF isn't known for openly sharing information regarding national defence.

However, you can find plenty of discussion for it online and for example on this video it's mentioned around the 1:25 mark.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Yeah but I don't see those hooks as being related. You don't really need hooks like that to blow a bridge and that's a small underpass of a regular road. You could cave that with a few sticks of TNT. And drilling them into the wall is much more efficient than hanging them off the wall.

I just suspect these hooks are just remnants of building it, and not for any specific purpose. Don't really care if I'm wrong but I won't be dissuaded unless someone actually proves it properly.

[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Drilling is slow. Efficiency isn't the point here, speed is.

This isn't exactly a regular road either but highway number four which leads straight to Helsinki.

You can see these same hooks on the support pillars of most bridges as well. Once you start paying attention to it you can't really unsee it.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Yeah I've seen them as I've driven Turku-Hki highway 1 and the old nr 1 as well.

For me it'd be much more believable if we we're talking about eastern cities. The road infra around the eastern border, no matter how clearly designed against an invasion from the East, was not talked about for decades. But they've since loosened the policy.

I understand the logic. I just don't buy into it. I understand I can be wrong but eh, until further evidence is presented this is my opinion.

Drilling is slow, yes, but explosives not in a structure just hanging on a hook outside are very much not efficient at destroying the structure. So if that's the case, you'd pre-drill holes for explosives. Which they apparently do do in the East.

I do find confirmation of plans to destroy the bridges, but the words used are "charge pits" or panostustila/panostusaukko in Finnish.

I just can't believe it'd be silly hooks like that so close. That to me seems just like the steel that's strengthening the concrete.

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[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 month ago (13 children)

I mean its also very much usable for other stuff like hanging up temporary cables and hoses and in practice its probably used for things like that more often.

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[–] hOrni@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I'm pretty sure that all bridges in Poland are designed to be easily blown up.

[–] HowAbt2day@futurology.today 3 points 1 month ago

Ah, I think it’s for hanging Christmas lights.

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