9/11: An Architect’s Guide | Part 1 – World Trade Center 7 Course Number: RG911-AAG-OD1 Live three-part webinar series:
Course Description:
In Part 1 of “9/11: An Architect’s Guide,” Richard Gage, AIA, provides an overview of the most important evidence regarding the destruction of World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7), a 47-story high-rise that was not struck by an airplane. The damage WTC 7 suffered from the collapse of the North Tower was found to be inconsequential. It had fires that were similar to those that have occurred previously in high-rise buildings. Yet it fell symmetrically into its own footprint in the manner of a typical controlled demolition.
In 2008, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) concluded that WTC 7’s destruction was caused by normal office fires that burned “at temperatures hundreds of degrees below those typically considered in design practice for establishing structural fire resistance ratings.” Is NIST’s explanation for this unprecedented structural failure valid? Decide for yourself after watching this informative one-hour presentation.
Using the information presented, you will be able to evaluate which of the two hypotheses — fire-induced failure or controlled demolition — is more consistent with the evidence. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to:
1. Describe the characteristics of building fires and the aspects of high-rise design that contribute to make fire-induced failure in steel-framed high-rise buildings a rare occurrence.
2. Recognize the distinct features associated with fire-induced failure and the distinct features associated with the procedure of controlled demolition.
3. Describe step-by-step the series of structural failures that the National Institute of Standards and Technology found to be the most likely cause of the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7.
4. Analyze the physical evidence and dynamics of Building 7’s collapse according to how consistent they are with the competing hypotheses of fire-induced failure and controlled demolition.
For more information: visit RichardGage911.org
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