Dominant Factor in the Collapse of WTC-1
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 23, Issue 4
Abstract
The behavior of the World Trade Center Tower 1 on September 11, 2001 is studied in light of experimental data on the effect of elevated temperature on mechanical properties of structural steel. It is concluded that the damage inflicted by aircraft impact on the insulation of the core framing was the dominant factor in the collapse of the structure.
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Acknowledgments
The work on the project was supported by the Kettelhut grant and Grant No. NSF-ITR DSC-0325227 at Purdue University. Appreciation is expressed to colleagues, Professors Christoph Hoffman, Voicu Popescu, Ahmed Sameh, Santiago Pujol, and Sami Kilic who participated in various phases of the studies of WTC and Pentagon Buildings, as well as to graduate students and Oscar Ardila, Ingo Brachmann, and Paul Rosen.
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© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: May 27, 2008
Accepted: Dec 29, 2008
Published online: Jul 15, 2009
Published in print: Aug 2009
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