Scale Modeling of the 96th Floor of World Trade Center Tower 1
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 21, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper presents an experimental investigation of the World Trade Center Tower 1 (WTC1) collapse using a -scale model. The WTC1 fire on the 96th floor is reconstructed on a small scale, and structural members including the floor trusses and the exterior wall subsystem are built and tested under scaled fire load. Scaling rules are used to determine the values of the insulating material on the structural systems. This experimental study demonstrates the use of scaled models to investigate a real-world fire disaster. Results from the experimental investigation are compared to analytical results and visual evidence compiled in the National Institute of Standards and Technology report on the investigation of the collapse of WTC towers. This study helps engineers and researchers better understand the fire behavior and the associated structural response in WTC1, and a more solidly grounded collapse hypothesis can therefore pursued.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to express special thanks to all students in ENFP 320 Class in the fall semester of 2004 for their contribution in the planning, constructing, and testing of the scale model. Support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (under Award No. NSF0301643) and Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute are appreciated. The assistance of Mr. Meng-Wah Yong from Singapore was vital to the success of the experiment.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 21 • Issue 6 • December 2007
Pages: 414 - 421
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 7, 2006
Accepted: Jan 12, 2007
Published online: Dec 1, 2007
Published in print: Dec 2007
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