Civil & Structural Engineers on WTC Collapse

Architects and Engineers

2007-12-31T11:26:00.000-08:00

I guess a lot of you have heard about the website ae911truth where a group of individuals claim that what happened to WTC 1, 2 and 7 could not have happened. This is just a claim, because they have nothing to show for their allegation that it could not have happened the way it did. You won't find any calculations that show how the NIST Report is wrong. On this site, you will find many structural

Purdue creates scientifically based animation of 9/11 attack

2007-11-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

Purdue creates scientifically based animation of 9/11 attack WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Fire inside WTC caused by exploding fuelDownload imagecaption below Although most Americans believe they know what brought down the World Trade Center twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001, civil engineers are still seeking answers to questions that could save lives in

Status of the Recommendations

2007-10-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

Status of the Recommendations Recommendation,Affected Standards and Codes Recommendation 1. NIST recommends that: (1) progressive collapse be prevented in buildings through the development and nationwide adoption of consensus standards and code provisions, along with the tools and guidelines needed for their use in practice; and (2) a standard

Standards Affected by NIST's Recommendations

2007-10-23T22:28:00.000-07:00

Standards Affected by the Recommendations Affected Standard Group Number Recommendation American Concrete Institute, ACI 318 ‑ Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete 1. Increased Structural Integrity 3. New Methods for Fire

Organizations Affected by NIST's Recommendations

2007-10-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Organizations Affected by the Recommendations Affected Organization Group Recommendation American Concrete Institute 1. Increased Structural Integrity 2. Enhanced Fire Endurance of Structures 3. New Methods for Fire Resistant Design of Structures 8.

Model Codes Affected by NIST's Recommendations

2007-10-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Model Codes Affected by the Recommendations Affected Model Code Group Recommendation International Building Code 1. Increased Structural Integrity 2. Enhanced Fire Endurance of Structures 3. New Methods for Fire Resistant Design of

Partial List of Agencies, Organizations, and Experts

2007-10-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

1,200 people who worked the flight 93 crash scene40,000 people who worked the piles at Ground Zero55 FBI Evidence Response Teams at Fresh Kills in New York7,000+ FBI Agents8,000+ people who worked the scene at the PentagonACE Bermuda InsuranceAEMC ConstructionAIG InsuranceAir Traffic Control System Command Center in WashingtonAlexandria VA Fire & RescueAllianz Global RisksAmerican

A NATION CHALLENGED: THE TRADE CENTER; TOWERS' COLLAPSE RAISES NEW DOUBTS ABOUT FIRE TESTS

2007-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

A NATION CHALLENGED: THE TRADE CENTER; TOWERS' COLLAPSE RAISES NEW DOUBTS ABOUT FIRE TESTS writePost(); By ERIC LIPTON AND JAMES GLANZ Published: April 8, 2002 The fiery collapse of three World Trade Center skyscrapers has led scientists, engineers and

World Trade Center puzzle lingers

2007-09-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center puzzle lingers Investigations began as the wreckage was cleared Better construction could have saved hundreds of lives in the World Trade Center (WTC), but investigators are still puzzling over the evidence. The WTC towers "did very well" to stand as long as they did, the head of the official inquiry into their collapse

Twin Towers showed 'remarkable' resistance

2007-09-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

Twin Towers showed 'remarkable' resistance The towers' survival "astonished" engineers The World Trade Center showed "remarkable" resistance in the 11 September attacks and its design contributed to saving many lives, a US government report has found. The Towers could have survived the

Twin Towers 'never fire-tested'

2007-09-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Twin Towers 'never fire-tested' A two-year study is investigating the towers' collapse The floors of the World Trade Center had not been tested for their ability to withstand fire, an interim report has found. Extreme heat

9/11 demolition theory challenged

2007-09-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

9/11 demolition theory challenged The study analysed how the twin towers collapsed An analysis of the World Trade Center collapse has challenged a conspiracy theory

Some journal papers about the WTC on 9/11

2007-06-12T02:57:00.001-07:00

Following are some journal papers about the WTC on 9/11 by structural engineers, fire safety engineers, and materials scientists. The list was compiled in April, 2006 by "senorpogo" at the JREF forum. His disclaimer: "In no way do I want to suggest that this list is exhaustive. Also, I have not read all these articles (I've read a few and skimmed most) so I cannot comment on their individual

Small list of Engineers

2007-06-12T02:53:00.001-07:00

MIT scientists:Eduardo KauselProfessor of Civil and Environmental Engineering - MIT* C.E. 1967, University of Chile* M.S. 1972, MIT* Sc.D. 1974, MITJohn E. FernandezAssociate Professor of Building Technology - MIT1989--MArch, Princeton University1985--BSAD, MITAwards or Positions:2003--Honorable Mention, International Competition for the Design of Ephemeral Structures2002--Hass Award: Laminated

The search for answers in the rubble of the Twin Towers

2007-06-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

The search for answers in the rubble of the Twin Towers Apr 1, 2002 12:00 PMPaul Rothman The crumbled remains of the World Trade Center hold clues about how to enhance fire safety, structural engineering and security for present and future high-rises. Researchers at the National

WTC Lessons For Future Disasters

2007-06-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

WTC Lessons For Future DisastersReport Says Why Twin Towers Fell, Calls For New Evacuation PlansWASHINGTON, April 6, 2005 var storeInfo = new Array (1); var cbsx = 1; storeInfo[1] = 'The south tower collapses as smoke billows from both towers of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (AP)'; function movePrev(){ cbsx-=1; if (cbsx == 0){ cbsx = 1;

The World Trade Center: Collapse of the Twin Towers

2007-06-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

The World Trade Center: Collapse of the Twin Towers Terrorist Attacks on New York's World Trade Center Towers Dateline: September 12, 2001 This article summarizes news reports and commentary at the time

World Trade Centre Collapse

2007-06-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

World Trade Centre Collapse Reporter: Karina Kelly Producer: Mick O'Donnell Researcher: Robert HodgsonTranscriptRelated Info 20 September 2001 As the world still struggles to comprehend the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, Catalyst investigates why the World Trade Centre towers collapsed the way they did. Transcript Narration: When the World Trade Centre was built in

Dislodged fireproofing felled Twin Towers

2007-06-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

Dislodged fireproofing felled Twin Towers Giles Hewitt Agençe France-Presse Wednesday, 6 April 2005 Investigator Shyam Sunder presents the 10,000 page report into why the World Trade Center collapsed so quickly after the 11 September

Marco J. Shmerykowsky

2007-06-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

SCI-TECH BRIEFINGAn occasional series on science and technology by Marco J. Shmerykowsky This week The Ukrainian Weekly introduces a new feature, "Sci-Tech Briefing," an initiative of the Ukrainian Engineers' Society of America. The debut article by Marco Shmerykowsky was prepared for The Weekly in late October. The collapse of the Twin Towers It has been two months since the terrorist

Massive force of blasts triggered towers' collapse

2007-06-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Massive force of blasts triggered towers' collapse Paul Kelso and Tim RadfordWednesday September 12, 2001The Guardian Until yesterday's devastating impacts reduced them to rubble, the twin towers of the World Trade Centre dominated the New York skyline, iconic symbols of American achievement. Situated at the southern end of Manhattan island, the 110-storey,

Twin towers' collapses due to fire, expert says

2007-06-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Twin towers' collapses due to fire, expert says Engineers talks of Trade Center myths, argues fire-proofing doomed building Tania Gangulifunction goPage(newindex) { currentLocation = getThisPage(); cleanedLocation = ''; // If this is an SHTML request. if (currentLocation.indexOf(".shtml") > -1) { // Detect if this is a request that already has a page specification. if (

A Berkeley Engineer Searches for the Truth About the Twin Towers' Collapse

2007-06-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

A Berkeley Engineer Searches for the Truth About the Twin Towers' Collapse Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl's computer simulations suggest more-conventional skyscrapers might have withstood the attacksBy JEFFREY R. YOUNGWhen the World Trade Center's

Professor S. Kitipornchai

2007-06-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

Are tall buildings in Hong Kong safe from terrorist plane crashes? by Professor S. KitipornchaiNo-one will ever forget September 11, 2001 – a day when the most powerful country in the world was caught completely off guard. Groups of well co-ordinated terrorists managed with relative ease to hijack a number of commercial planes and slam them into the 110-storey twin towers of the World Trade

World Trade Center Investigation "Exonerates" Twin Towers' Design

2007-06-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center Investigation "Exonerates" Twin Towers' Design in Sept. 11, 2001 Collapse 10/21/2004 By Nadine M. Post<

Experts: Impact, fire too much for twin towers

2007-06-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Experts: Impact, fire too much for twin towers ©Washington Post, published September 12, 2001 NEW YORK -- Built to withstand earthquakes and hurricane-force winds, and equipped with enhanced security after a 1993 terrorist bombing, the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center were supposed to last. Their architect boasted that they could withstand the impact of a jumbo jet. But

Fireproofing Blown Off Twin Towers

2007-06-01T16:57:00.001-07:00

Fireproofing Blown Off Twin Towers Report Details 9/11 Collapse in N.Y. By Michelle Garcia Special to The Washington PostWednesday, April 6, 2005; Page A03 NEW YORK, April 5 -- The hijacked airplanes that struck the World Trade Center hit with such force that the

Engineering solutions

2007-06-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Engineering solutions In late 2001, engineers were working on designs for BP1 - a new tower for Canary Wharf, London. But following 9/11, they changed their plans. Together with steelwork specialists, they devised a pioneering system to strengthen beam and column connections.Usually, each end of a floor beam is bolted directly to the face of a supporting column. But by pushing a short steel plate

When the Twin Towers Fell

2007-06-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

In Focus October 09, 2001 When the Twin Towers Fell One month after the attack on the World Trade Center, M.I.T. structural engineers offer their take on how and why the towers came down By Steven Ashley Image: NOAABEFORE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center seemed a permanent part of the

Why the Twin Towers Fell

2007-06-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Why the Twin Towers Fell Engineers who studied the World Trade Center after the September 11 attacks tell why the Twin Towers stood as long as they did, and why they eventually collapsed. For the most current information on New York's World Trade Center, be sure to visit our WTC Index.

William F. Baker

2007-06-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

First public hearing of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States Statement of William F. Baker to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States April 1, 2003 I wish to extend my sincere appreciation for being asked to address the Commission on behalf of the ASCE/FEMA World Trade Center Building Performance

Building Operating Management

2007-05-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Future of High-Rise Building DesignHow will the collapse of the World Trade Center towers change tall buildings? By BOM Editorial StaffEmail the BOM editors Coverage:

Fire Testing Is Questioned in Findings on Towers

2007-04-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

Fire Testing Is Questioned in Findings on TowersBy ERIC LIPTONPublished: August 26, 2004 ORTHBROOK, Ill., Aug. 25 - For more than two years, federal investigators have been struggling to resolve a critical and contentious question concerning the collapse of the World Trade Center towers: was the spray-on fireproofing initially placed on the twin towers' innovative lightweight floors

Science in Africa

2007-04-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Engineering aspects of the WTC Twin Towers Graham Shepherd, Rhodes University Graham Sheperd gives some insight into the engineering aspects of the World Trade Center Twin Towers ahead of a lecture at the National Festival of Science, Engineering and Technology, Africa's largest science festival to be held in March in South Africa. On September 11th 2001 the world watched in horror as

Dr. Barbara Lane

2007-04-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Arup Study Sees WTC Collapse Likely Even Without Loss of Fireproofing -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 10/5/2005 Dr. Barbara Lane, an expert in structural fire design solutions with London-based global consulting and engineering firm Arup

ICC News Release

2007-04-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center 9/11 investigation could result in new generation of building safety and fire prevention codes The nation's leading developer of building safety and fire prevention codes will use findings from an investigation

PROGRESS REPORT

2007-04-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

PROGRESS REPORTTO: Penny BeebeFROM: Casey StevensonSUBJECT: Study of the collapse of the World Trade Center towersDATE: November 5, 2004I. IntroductionThe focus of my research project is the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers fol-lowing the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Specifically, I hope to establish the sequence of events that took place inside the towers that

Meeting to Discuss IBC Code Change Proposal

2007-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Opening Remarks1 ofDr. S. Shyam SunderDeputy DirectorBuilding and Fire Research LaboratoryNational Institute of Standards and Technologyat theMeeting to Discuss IBC Code Change Proposal forProgressive/Disproportionate CollapseMay 1, 2006NIST released the final report in October 2005 from its building and fire safety investigation of the collapses of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on 9-11.

Analysis of Aircraft Impacts into the World Trade Center

2007-04-21T15:39:00.001-07:00

Analysis of Aircraft Impacts into the World Trade Center Towers Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster. Analysis of Aircraft Impacts into the World Trade Center Towers Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster. (36044 K) Kirkpatrick, S.

Simple Model of the World Trade Center Fireball Dynamics.

2007-04-21T15:32:00.001-07:00

Simple Model of the World Trade Center Fireball Dynamics. Simple Model of the World Trade Center Fireball Dynamics. (502 K) Baum, H. R.; Rehm, R. G. Combustion Institute, Symposium (International) on Combustion, 30th. Proceedings. Volume 30. Part 2. July 25-30, 2004, Chicago, IL, Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, Chen, J. H.; Colket, M. D.; Barlow, R. S.; Yetter, R. A., Editor(s)(

Civils fear 9/11 report will stifle fire engineering

2007-04-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

Civils fear 9/11 report will stifle fire engineering New Civil Engineer 16/06/2005 Dave Parker BRITISH ENGINEERS fear that all structural steel will need impact and fire resistant coatings because of recommendations in

Fire protection demands threaten to stifle design innovation

2007-04-19T22:37:00.001-07:00

Fire protection demands threaten to stifle design innovation New Civil Engineer 30/06/2005 Mark Hansford ENGINEERS FEAR their efforts to produce innovative tall building designs will be stifled following publication of last week's comprehensive report

Lasting lessons of WTC

2007-04-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

New Civil Engineer 30/06/2005 Unthinkable. The single word on NCE's 13 September 2001 issue, pasted over an image of the fi rst World Trade Center tower in freefall, still rings true. Just hours earlier, it had been genuinely inconceivable that

Collapse mechanisms

2007-04-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

New Civil Engineer 07/07/2005 Fire engineers are still debating the exact sequence of events that caused the catastrophic collapse of the iconic Twin Towers (NCE 30 June). Conspiracy theorists still pour over every detail of every report into the

UK report anticipated NIST calls

2007-04-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

New Civil Engineer International 01/08/2005 VIRTUALLY ALL conclusions in NIST's official report into the collapse of the World Trade Center towers were reached in the UK three years ago, engineers have claimed. A major report Safety in tall buildings

Huge investigation but questions remain

2007-04-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

New Civil Engineer 22/09/2005 Painstaking reconstruction of the 9/11 attacks reveals much detail about the process of destruction. America's National Institute for Science & Technology (NIST) revealed more detail than ever of its computer based

All this work is just the start

2007-04-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

New Civil Engineer 22/09/2005 Can engineers really design for a 9/11 style attack on steel framed buildings? Dave Parker reports. Do engineers really know how tall steel framed buildings will behave in an intense fire? To judge from the views expressed at last week's conference, held in

Row erupts over why twin towers collapsed

2007-04-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

New Civil Engineer 22/09/2005 A ROW over the causes of the World Trade Center twin tower collapses on 11 September 2001 broke out between British and American fire engineers last week. British engineers strongly disputed official American claims that the towers became more vulnerable to

An Initial Microstructural Analysis of A36 Steel from WTC Building 7

2007-04-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

An Initial Microstructural Analysis of A36 Steel from WTC Building 7J.R. Barnett, R.R. Biederman, and R.D. Sisson, Jr. OTHER ARTICLES IN THE WTC SERIES "Why Did the World Trade Center Collapse? Science, Engineering, and Speculation" by Thomas Eagar and Christopher Musso Better Materials Can Reduce the Threat from

Prof. Dr.-Ing., P.E. Uwe Starossek (TUHH), Germany

2007-04-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE OF STRUCTURESUwe StarossekProf. Dr.-Ing., P.E.Structural Analysis and Steel Structures InstituteHamburg University of Technology (TUHH), GermanyE-mail: starossek@tuhh.deIn terms of tragedy and losses the above mentioned cases of failure were far exceeded by the collapse on September 11th, 2001 of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The impact of the airplane and the

Beyond Disaster (Architecture week)

2007-04-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Beyond Disaster by ArchitectureWeek In our second week since the terrorist disaster in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, emergency crews continue to work on rescue and recovery. Families, friends, a nation, and the world mourn heavy losses. The people of the United States, this magazine among them, struggle toward a distant normalcy. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani updated the

ASCE Comments on NIST WTC Report Recommendations

2007-04-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

ASCE Comments on NIST WTC Report RecommendationsJune 27, 2005 The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) issued comments regarding a report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigating the fires and collapses of New York City's World Trade Center (WTC) towers following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. NIST urged the technical

ASTM Int'l Studies NIST Report on WTC Collapse

2007-04-18T09:36:00.001-07:00

ASTM Int'l Studies NIST Report on WTC CollapseOctober 17, 2005 In response to a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report on the fires and

John Roberts

2007-04-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

How have engineers learned from the attack on New York’s World Trade Center? More than two years since the tragedy of 9/11, John Roberts writes on the structures of tall buildings and how they can be changed to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.September 11 2003 was the second anniversary of the infamous attacks on the World Trade Center, prompting renewed interest in the questions

Beyond the Towers: Performance of Masonry

2007-04-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Towers: Performance of Masonry By David T. Biggs, P.E., Ryan-Biggs Associates Masonry Home > Products and Properties > Beyond the Towers Comparing the present with the past in the world around us can be an important learning experience. Such was the case for the Federal Emergency

Kurt McMullin

2007-04-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Fire, not impact, may have doomed Trade Center, says prof Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - September 11, 2001 The two towers of the World Trade Center may have collapsed because the planes which crashed into them this morning scraped away protective

Reinforced theories (Fire Chief)

2007-04-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Reinforced theories Chief Jack Parow, Chelmsford (Mass.) Fire Department Jun 1, 2002 12:00 PM To most people the cause of the World Trade Center collapse on Sept. 11 seems obvious: Two Boeing 767 aircraft crashed into the towers, toppling them within hours. Yet to fire service professionals, the cause of

Intense heat melted steel supports in Trade Center

2007-04-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Intense heat melted steel supports in Trade Center By Daniel Scarpinato

Ed DePaola

2007-04-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

The World Trade Center collapseReporter S. AlexanderThe following is a report by Stuart Alexander of a meeting held at the ICE on 25 June 2002 organised by the ICE’s Structural and Building Board and chaired by Gordon Masterton. The meeting was an excellent example of the ICE’s role as a learned society, bringing together practitioners and experts to consider an issue of global concern for the

World Trade Center Investigation

2007-04-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center Investigation "Exonerates" Twin Towers' Design in Sept. 11, 2001 Collapse 10/21/2004 By Nadine M. Post<

Enough of the 9/11 Conspiracies, Already

2007-04-17T22:37:00.001-07:00

Enough of the 9/11 Conspiracies, Already by Matthew Rothschild At almost every progressive gathering where there’s a question and answer period, someone or other vehemently raises 9/11 and espouses a grand conspiracy theory. If you haven’t had the pleasure of enduring these rants,

Why the Twin Towers Collapsed

2007-04-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Why the Twin Towers Collapsed Paula Hawkins December 2001Updated 2006 When two Boeing 767s crashed into the Twin Towers, Tower One took 103 minutes to fall while Tower Two only lasted for 53 minutes. New York, home of the skyscraper, was now the site of the world's most horrific high rise tragedy. A few lucky people managed to escape before these two great edifices of modern American life

Reexamining Premises for High-Rise Design

2007-04-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Reexamining Premises for High-Rise Design By Michael A. Gips Engineers, building designers, and other experts have pored over the wreckage of the World Trade Center. Can they provide clues for making high rises safer? When the World Trade Center buildings succumbed last September after direct hits from two terrorist-driven planes, among the many ramifications was the need for

Arup Study

2007-04-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Innovative Structural Engineering for Tall Buildings in Fire.See slideshow of study here.

Contracts on WTC investigation from NIST

2007-04-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Awards 18 SB1341-06-8-0539 R - World Trade Center 7 Structural Models and Collapse Hypothesis, Contract Modifications for Structural and Blast Analyses Applied Research Associates 8/22/2006 Award Information 17 SB1341-06-Q-0186 R - World Trade Center 7 Structural Models and Collapse Hypothesis Applied Research

ASCE Establishes Teams to Study NY and DC Disasters

2007-04-13T08:56:00.001-07:00

ASCE Establishes Teams to Study NY and DC Disasters ASCE, using its Disaster Response Procedure, has authorized the formation of two teams to study the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York and the damage to the Pentagon in suburban Washington, DC. Each team is composed of ASCE members who are experts in the design of complex structures. Team members will use their contacts in their

Dr. Karl Frank

2007-04-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

Engineers receive $817,000 to create university facility to better understand response of building materials to fire September 9, 2005 AUSTIN, Texas—Civil and mechanical engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have received an $817,000 grant to create the first university center to study the impact of fire on the integrity of building components. Dr. Karl Frank,

Did The Building Do It?

2007-04-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Did The Building Do It? FEA Study Shows Design May Have Played a Role in the World Trade Center Collapse Karen Auguston Field, Editor-in-Chief -- Design News, September 25, 2006 Seven days after the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, Professor Abolhassen Astaneh-Asl was in New York, armed with a digital camera and a notebook and documenting what he could of the devastation. A

Skyscraper Safety Campaign

2007-04-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

9/11 probers say updated fire standards for skyscrapers could save lives NEWSDAY - Friday, June 24, 2005 BY KAREN MATTHEWSAssociated Press Writer NEW YORK -- Updated building standards requiring fire-protected elevators and widely spaced stairwells, among other features, could save lives and would add only marginally to the cost of new skycrapers, investigators who examined the

How the World Trade Center fell

2007-04-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

How the World Trade Center fell By BBC News Online's Sheila Barter The design of the World Trade Center saved thousands of lives by standing for well over an hour after the planes crashed into its twin towers, say structural engineers. It was the fire that killed the buildings - nothing on

Masoud Sanayei,professor of civil and environmental engineering

2007-04-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

A 'bland' skyscraper became the symbol of a city by Marjorie Howard On a clear, beautiful day a few years ago, Masoud Sanayei, professor of civil and environmental engineering, decided to visit the World Trade Center and see for himself the two towers that dominated the New York City skyline. He took the nearly one-minute elevator ride up 110 stories, enjoyed the breathtaking view

Leslie E. Robertson

2007-04-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

Reflections on the World Trade Center Leslie E. Robertson Volume 32, Number 1 - Spring 2002 The lead structural engineer reflects on the rise and fall of the World Trade Center towers. The journey toward the design and construction of the World Trade Center began prior to 1960 when Minoru Yamasaki Associates was selected to design the Federal Science Pavilion, a key element of the Seattle World’

Engineers see measure of success in performance of WTC design

2007-04-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Engineers see measure of success in performance of WTC design By Michelle Morgante Associated Press Writer (09-28-01)CORONADO — As he watched the World Trade Center burn, Bob Hendershot knew the clock was ticking. In the safety of their San Diego home, his wife stared at the televised images and asked “What’s gonna happen?” The structural engineer knew that fire would most surely cause the

MIT engineers answer questions about skyscrapers

2007-04-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

MIT engineers answer questions about skyscrapers September 24, 2001 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Why did the World Trade Center towers collapse? Are skyscrapers safe? How can we make our buildings -- and cities -- less vulnerable to attack?In part to find refuge from September 11 "in sense and logic," MIT structural engineers have begun to answer those questions. Their conclusions were sent to the News

The World Trade Center Buildings collapse

2007-04-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

The World Trade Center Buildings collapse... - by Mina Radhakrishnan September 11, 2001 is a date that few people in America will forget. It is still hard to believe that the World Trade Centers, buildings that represented America's strength and power, are now visible only as ruins in the Manhattan skyline. Soon after the buildings collapsed, a preliminary study of the structural foundations

Engineers Reconstruct WTC's Final Moments

2007-04-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Engineers Reconstruct WTC's Final MomentsBy Jay Wrolstad Some analysts maintain that constructing buildings to survive the type of assaults that occurred on September 11th is not a realistic goal. Almost four months after terrorist attacks leveled the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan, work crews

Frank Moscatelli

2007-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Planes May Have Almost Toppled World Trade Center Towers On Impact Science Daily — The hijacked jetliners might have come close to toppling the World Trade Center Towers on impact on Sept. 11, according to new calculations by a Swarthmore College physics professor. This counters the views of most experts and a recent federally funded engineering study that concluded

Leigh Wilson

2007-04-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

The collapse of the World Trade Centre Towers, New Yorkby Leigh Wilson, AISC State Manager Victoria and TasmaniaThe Council of the Australian Institute of Steel Construction and all members of staff are joined in profound sympathy for those affected by the tragic events in New York and Washington on 11 September, 2001. As an organisation committed to promoting excellence in the construction of

CIVIL ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

2007-04-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

November 2001 CIVIL ENGINEERING MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH The Days After, The Days Ahead Civil engineers assumed prominent roles in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and are leading the efforts to evaluate not only

Richard Gewain

2007-04-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Expert: Impact Would Have Brought WTC Down By Graham RaymanSTAFF WRITER- New York NewsdayJanuary 9, 2002 A fire expert investigating the collapse of the Twin Towers said the impact of the two hijacked planes was so great that the buildings could have collapsed even without the ensuing fire."The major insult was the plane knocking out the columns, and destroying the connections to the floors,"

A NATION CHALLENGED (WTC7)

2007-04-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

A NATION CHALLENGED: THE TRADE CENTER; City Had Been Warned of Fuel Tank at 7 World Trade Center Fire Department officials warned the city and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1998 and 1999 that a giant diesel fuel tank for the mayor's $13 million command bunker in 7 World Trade Center, a 47-story high-rise that burned and collapsed on Sept. 11, posed a hazard and was not

Jon Magnusson

2007-04-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

REFLECTIONS on the people, the towers and the profession.Jon Magnusson is Chairman/C.E.O. of Skilling WardMagnusson Barkshire Inc., and a member of the SEI Board of Governors.The emails…the phone calls…the messages via our website…they came in one after the other…all with the same message: “The strength and redundancy of the World Trade Center Towers saved tens of thousands of lives after the

Designing Buildings to Avoid Progressive Collapse

2007-04-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Designing Buildings to Avoid Progressive Collapse A symposium sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction and The Steel Institute of New York discusses ways engineers can better design buildings to avoid the type of progressive collapse seen in recent years as

Engineers respond to media bashing

2007-04-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Engineers respond to media bashingsubmitted by Bob Johnson Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, 203 N. Wabash Suite 2010, Chicago, IL. 60601TEL: 312-372-4198 WEBSITE: www.seaoi.orgFor IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact Donna Childs: 312-372-4198WORLD TRADE CENTER - RESPONSIBILITY OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERSCHICAGO, SEPTEMBER: There have been some suggestions in the news media

9/11: Five Years on - Changes in Tall Building Design?

2007-04-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

9/11: Five Years on - Changes in Tall Building Design?1 INSTRUCTIONThis article discusses the changes in tall building design practice after the World Trade Centre (WTC) buildings collapse. Although many suggestions were made post-9/11, regarding the improvement of the performance of buildings, no major changes have yet been implemented. These suggestions and the lessons learnt from the collapse

Arthur Scheuerman Battalion Chief FDNY

2007-04-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

It Was the Fire That Caused the Twin Towers’ CollapseScheuerman on WTC7 Collapse. (The Collapse of Building 7 by Arthur Scheuerman December 8, ‘06) By Arthur Scheuerman Battalion Chief FDNY Retired, Former Deputy Chief Instructor Nassau County Fire Training Academy. An analysis of the cause of the collapse of the WTC Towers. Possible lessons to be learned to improve high-rise building life

A. S. Usmani, Y. C. Chung and J. L. Torero

2007-04-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

How did the WTC towers collapse: a new theory A. S. Usmani, Y. C. Chung and J. L. Torero School of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JN, UKReceived 10 March 2003; revised 6 June 2003; accepted 10 June 2003. ; Available online 26 July 2003. AbstractThis paper uses a finite-element model to investigate the stability of the Twin-Towers of the World Trade

Christopher M. Foley

2007-04-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Why they fellby Foley, Christopher M The skyscraper has fascinated me since I first saw watercolor paintings of office buildings done by my father, a mechanical engineer with an artistic streak. The beauty

Codes Under Fire

2007-04-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

Codes Under Fire By Roy Pachecano Today's building operations professionals and facility executives must confront the new realities affecting the built environment in the aftermath of 9/11. The question of upgrading

Engineers blame collapses on fires

2007-04-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Engineers blame collapses on fires Burning jet fuel's heat softened steel supports of WTC towers, they say; Sprinklers disabled, outmatched By Edward Gunts Sun Architecture Critic Originally published September 13, 2001 The Windsor Tower Fire, Madrid (12 Feb 2005) World Trade Center Towers Collapse, New York (11 Sep 2001)First

Dr. Louis F.Geschwindner Jr.

2007-04-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

The World Trade Center Destruction and the Role of the Quoted Expert.by Dr. Louis F. Geschwindner Jr., New York Gamma ’67, P.E., and Charles J. Carter, Pennsylvania Beta ’90THE EVIL EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, shocked the world. Horrific, unthinkable images— fully fueled 767s slamming into two of the world’s tallest buildings, burning and ultimately collaps- ing them to the ground—mask the true

Jim Destefano

2007-04-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

CNN BREAKING NEWS Amateur Video of Immediate Aftermath Aired September 11, 2001 - 16:20 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim Destefano is a structural engineer. He knows about big buildings and what happens in

Frederick W. Mowrer

2007-04-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

Engineers Study WTC Destruction MATT CRENSONAssociated Press National Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Inadequate fireproofing may have contributed to the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, engineers studying the destruction of the buildings said Wednesday. Inspections performed during the 1990s indicate that at least some of the steel rods supporting the floors of the twin towers were

Architect's Analysis

2007-04-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

Why WTC Steel Towers Collapsed at One Blow - Architect's AnalysisThursday, September 20, 2001, updated at 16:28(GMT+8)Many people asked why the US WTC twin steel towers in New York couldn't survive the terrorist attacks and instead of withstanding the bump of the planes they collapsed and were practically razed?People's queries were mainly about why the twin towers fell all of a lump when they

WTC investigators’ recommendations

2007-04-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

WTC investigators’ recommendations set agenda for change, but provide few answers By Larry Flynn NIST research staff (above) inventory the steel recovered from the collapsed World Trade Center

Responses on WTC Report Recommendations

2007-04-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

Responses Begin to Federal World Trade Center Report Recommendations June 24, 2005 Industry groups are joining forces to review recommendations for changes to structural and life-safety systems for tall buildings proposed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology as part of its $16-million World Trade Center

Architectural Record

2007-04-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

Interim Results of World Trade Center Investigation "Exonerates" Twin Towers' Design in Sept. 11, 2001 Collapse October 22, 2004 Structural steel of the twin 110-story towers of the World Trade Center was stripped of its fireproofing by debris from the aircraft impact and weakened by the resulting fires, eventually

COLLAPSE OF WORLD TRADE CENTER TWIN TOWERS

2007-04-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

COLLAPSE OF WORLD TRADE CENTER TWIN TOWERS Both towers were tube-like, and the majority of their support came from exterior columns. There was also a cluster of columns in the center of the building connected to the exterior columns by floor trusses. THE COLLAPSES:WHAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED After the planes