Building Trump's Wall

TL;DR

Donald Trump plans to build a 1,000-mile wall along the US-Mexico border, which would cost anywhere from $15 billion to $25 billion and potentially create 100,000 jobs.

Transcript

if elected president of the United States Donald Trump wants to build a wall one of the country's southern border with Mexico so is it actually possible to build a wall like that and what would it mean to the construction industry we take a look the u.s. international border with Mexico stretches 1989 miles from the Pacific across to the Gulf of Me... Read More

Key Insights

• 😀 The US-Mexico border is currently partially fenced, but Trump's proposed wall would span 1,000 miles and vary in height depending on geographic features.
• 🇮🇴 Construction complexities include dealing with floodplains, mountain ranges, Indian Territory, and private landowners who would need to agree to sell their land.
• 📢 The proposed wall would require a significant amount of concrete and cement, potentially costing between $15 billion and $25 billion.

Questions & Answers

Q: How much would the proposed border wall cost?

The estimated cost of the wall is at least $15 billion, but it could go up to $25 billion, depending on various factors such as design, materials, land acquisitions, and ongoing maintenance.

Q: What materials would be used for the wall?

Experts suggest that precast concrete would be preferable due to the high temperatures along the border. This would require 7.1 million cubic meters of concrete and 2.4 million tons of cement.

Q: How would Mexico pay for the wall?

Trump plans to block the flow of payments from Mexican nationals working in the US back to Mexico, which currently amounts to approximately $24 billion each year. He believes this would force Mexico to contribute to the wall's cost.

Q: How would the construction of the wall impact the construction industry?

The construction of the wall could create as many as 100,000 jobs and potentially boost US cement demand by 1.1% in 2018 and 2019. Local manufacturers of materials like concrete and cement would benefit.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The US-Mexico border has already been partially fenced, but Trump wants to build a 1,000-mile wall, reduced from his original 2,000-mile plan, with a height of 10 to 12 meters.

• The proposed wall would require 7.1 million cubic meters of concrete and 2.4 million tons of cement, costing at least $15 billion and potentially up to $25 billion.

• Construction complexities include dealing with geographic features, floodplains, private landowners, and Indian Territory.