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Why did the world trade center collapse? Science, engineering, and speculation

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Abstract

There have been numerous reports detailing the cause of the World Trade Center Tower collapse on September 11, 2001. Most have provided qualitative explanations; however, simple quantitative analyses show that some common conclusions are incorrect; for example, the steel could not melt in these flames and there was more structural damage than merely softening of the steel at elevated temperatures. Some guidelines for improvements in future structures are presented.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Engineering and Engineering Systems, USA

    Thomas W. Eagar (the Thomas Lord Professor)

  2. the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

    Christopher Musso (graduate research student)

Authors
  1. Thomas W. Eagar
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  2. Christopher Musso
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Additional information

For more information, contact T.W. Eagar, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 4-136, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4301; (617) 253-5793; fax (617) 252-1773; e-mail tweagar@mit.edu.

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Eagar, T.W., Musso, C. Why did the world trade center collapse? Science, engineering, and speculation. JOM 53, 8–11 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-001-0003-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-001-0003-1

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