WORLD TRADE CENTER FACTS

Various ^ | September 11, 2001 | wattsmag2

[wattsmag2]

50,000 people work there.

200,000 visitors visit daily.

Completion Date: 1972 (Tower One), 1973 (Tower Two) Cost: $400 million

Height: 1,368 feet (Tower One), 1,362 feet (Tower Two)

Stories: 110

Materials: Steel

Facing Materials: Aluminum, steel

Constructed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the early 1970s, the World Trade Center towers were, for their time, the best known examples of tube buildings. Tube buildings are strengthened by closely spaced columns and beams in the outer walls. The closely spaced columns and beams in each tower form a steel tube that, together with an internal core, withstand the tremendous wind loads that affect buildings this tall.

Aside from withstanding enormous wind loads, the World Trade Center towers were also constructed to withstand settlement loads. Because the towers were built on six acres of landfill, the foundation of each tower had to extend more than 70 feet below ground level to rest on solid bedrock.

One World Trade Center features Windows on the World, an elegant restaurant with a magnificent view of New York City. Two World Trade Center features two observation decks, both more than 1,300 feet above the city.

At the time of their completion in 1973, the World Trade Center towers were the two tallest buildings in the world. Two years later, the Sears Tower in Chicago seized the coveted title, but the World Trade Center towers still dominate the Manhattan skyline and provide an impressive gateway to New York City.

[wattsmag2]

Any person, any organization, any nation who participated in or abetted this action ought to be sent to Hell with extreme prejudice.

[kylaka]

Construction of a modern skyscraper is very much like hanging a light facade on a birdcage frame. I'm astonished that they went down.

[RyanM]

I am no structural engineer, but I have read that the one thing modern skyscrapers cannot handle is high temperature fire.

Remember the movie Towering Inferno ?

Heat "melts" the steel, weakening it, leading to collapse.

[Tazlo]

The year 1999 seven months
From the sky will come the great King of Terror.
To resuscitate the great king of the Mongols.
Before and after Mars reigns by good luck.

Nostradamus

[Henry F. Bowman]

The melting steel effect is precisely what appeared to happen. The portion above the fire falls when the weakened/melted supports failed, and acted as a pile driver to cause the entire structure to collapse. Contrary to some reports, these were not partial collapses, but complete failures.

Prayers for the multitudes killed and their families.

And let us be vigilant to preserve our civil liberties in the aftermath of this nightmare.

[Coop]

There were further explosions at the WTC. I wouldn't be surprised if they attacked the base structures, too.

[Poincare]

The building was designed and constructed with its eventual demolition in mind. Planned obsolescence. When it came time to take it down it would be imploded with the rubble contained inside its footprint. It was not designed to withstand any kind of attack. Did the terrorists know this? If they didn't they would likely have attacked the towers lower down as clsoe to the base as possible.

[paltz]

It is insanity all over this city! People were screaming from the subway staions when it happened. All public transportaion to get home is unavailable. People are walking 50-100 blocks to get home. The city is not allowing anybody in or out of the city. It's like a mass exodus all over the sidewalks. The looks on peoples faces is that of disbelief and you know what everybody is whispering about. I have never seen so many cell phones out at once. People are emerging from the streets in dust. Ambulances, G-Men, and cops are all over the place. Lines are already forming outside of the supermarkets. Whoever did this is going to pay dearly.

[agrace]

I'm west of you in NJ - Somerset Co. My husband used to work in the Woolworth Bldg - I can't tell you how many times this morning I have thanked God that he left Manhattan last March. I'd be losing my mind right now. He works north of us in Bergen Co now, and as it is, he's sort of stuck at the office because of road closings and diversions on the turnpike, parkway and rt 80...but at least I know he's safe. The local coverage is so surreal. All those people - Giuliani was just on local news saying he wants everyone to evacuate below Canal - he said JUST START WALKING NORTH. How bizarre. I can't even imagine what it must be like downtown right now. Words can't express.

[Kathy]

Main thing is to remain calm.

Reason is the enemy of terror

Use reason.

[ffusco]

You are correct, most highrise buildings are built up by beams and columns stacked up on top of each other with the facade hung off the perimeter. This is called curtain wall construction. The World Trade Center was not contructed that way however. It was built by the tube method which implies that the load is carried by the skin of the building. If you notice the vertical lattice work on the exterior of the building- it was not decorative- it was structural. The terrorists knew this and knew that enough destruction to the skin of the building would cause its collapse. In 1946? the Empire State Bldg was hit by a B-24 and suffered no damage.

[agrace]

Of course. Did I somehow seem erratic? I think one can reasonably express the horror and disbelief regarding this situation without appearing to be hysterical.

[Kathy]

Nope not erratic just concerned and I am also - my advice is to myself also. We all need to keep clear heads here. Regards from the Green Isle

[agrace]

Thanks, agreed, and regards to you as well. It took my husband about 2 hours to get home last night - he had to go well into west NJ to completely bypass GWB/Newark Apt/Holland Tunnel vicinity (he gets to work driving northeast parallel to Manhattan just west of the island) and he took his regular route today, which took him almost 3 hours as most access roads/tunnels into NYC are still closed and traffic is quite backed up in NJ. Anyway, he emailed me to say that the view across the Hudson on the way in is unbelievable - TV footage does no justice to the horror of seeing it with the naked eye, even from a distance.

[paltz]

BTT

[b4its2late]

BTTT

[FreeperCell]

Wow!