What characteristic changed in clinker-built ship construction when European shipbuilding shifted from oak to elm, allowing a different structural outcome?

💡 Explanation

Clinker-built hulls switched to elm because, undergoing steam bending, improved the hull planking flexibility overall by a mechanism called plastic deformation. The plank curvature allows thinner, tighter seams and reduces weight. The outcome being improved bend radius with less structural compromise, rather than enhanced shear strength, because plank overlap is still present.

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