BasqueArch
Graduate Poster
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2009
- Messages
- 1,871
Core Suddenly Drops 23 Feet
Wall Slowly Brends 54 Inches
For those who have difficulty understanding, in their report on the Twin Towers NIST admitted that the sagging trusses did not cause inward bowing of the exterior in their model and stated that they had to add artificial lateral forces to the columns to cause it to happen.
So all the belly aching about catenary forces etc. isn't going to change the reality that they couldn't get it to happen in their model. I am not saying catenaries don't generate horizontal forces, just that it apparently wasn't enough force to be the cause for the inward bowing of the exterior columns.
Why are you clinging to NIST?![]()
Some years back I claimed:
"catenary sag is an effective force multiplier" - which a couple of truthers denied - pretended they didn’t comprehend. And, sadly, both of them engineers.
I counter claimed that my (then) 5yo grandson could understand it.
A couple of days later grandson visited and we did the experiment.
A catenary between two columns.
![]()
A polarity change to use horizontal vector modelling vertical pull of gravity.
Modelling the "inwards pull" induced by the "catenary sag force":
![]()
The comparson with force directly applied to cause "Inward Bowing" of the "column":
![]()
Subsequent interview of the experimental candidate:
Q: "which was easier to move the tree, Aiden, pushing the rope ot pushing the tree?"
A: "Pushing the rope made it move grandpa - I couldn't move the tree when I pushed it."
Glossary of language modifications to suit vocabulary of the volunteer participant:
Tree == column
Rope == catenary
Move == inwards bowing
etc.
The more distant "column" was of significantly smaller section modulus/moment of inertia
Section modulus/MoI == thinner
Q: "Which tree moved further Aiden"?
A: "that one Grandpa - its thinner."
I didn't explore the aspects of bending moment of columns subjected to horizontal force.
...or the more esoteric aspects of section properties.
For those who have difficulty understanding, in their report on the Twin Towers NIST admitted that the sagging trusses did not cause inward bowing of the exterior in their model and stated that they had to add artificial lateral forces to the columns to cause it to happen.
So all the belly aching about catenary forces etc. isn't going to change the reality that they couldn't get it to happen in their model. I am not saying catenaries don't generate horizontal forces, just that it apparently wasn't enough force in this case to be the cause for the inward bowing of the exterior columns.
Do you have a better basis than NIST, where you can show sagging trusses caused the inward bowing of the exterior columns? They said they couldn't show it, and my own analyses say the same thing, so I believe them.
I'm not sure about that example, it looks more like torque and the distance the force is applied from the tree . If he were pushing or pulling the rope where it is attached, the before and after might be the same.
When the compression joist top chord is bearing on the column the vector forces are all or mostly vertical. When the truss sags the top chord is in tension and the horizontal component force is maximum at the connection.
Maybe a physicist here can help.
Are you sure you are not missing the simple point by making it too complicated?![]()
You said "Some Guy on the Internet Proves
By Sheer and Repeated Force of Will
That Catenaries do not Produce Horizontal Forces"
I said "catenary sag is an effective force multiplier"
In other words "a little bit of force in the sag direction causes a much bigger inwards pull".
I sought to prove it by a semi humorous example demonstrating that point.
I'd better cover my arse:
My apologies to all who do not appreciate a bit of humour used to illustrate a simple bit of physics.
I'll overlook the snide comment "Maybe a physicist here can help."![]()
Surely the problem here is that we are chasing Tony's arse about logic? Lets come at it from the right end. I'll do it wearing my engineering manager's hat.Over the years there have been several other theories for the inward bowing that do not involve fictitious explosives. Certainly in your perusal over those years you've noticed them?
In one it is considered that the NIST fea did not transfer as much load to the perimeter as was the case in reality. Increased load PLUS catenary forces then cause inward bowing.
For that matter its been noticed that its possible that a fire induced core column creep shortened the core over time and that contributed to inward bowing.
Now, when did inward bowing begin, and when did the antenna drop?
Snide - derogatory or insulting.
It was not a snide comment. You should relax and not be so personally uptight. You're starting to sound like those people.
Do you have a better basis than NIST, where you can show sagging trusses caused the inward bowing of the exterior columns? They said they couldn't show it, and my own analyses say the same thing, so I believe them.
Over the years there have been several other theories for the inward bowing that do not involve ficticious explosives. Certainly in your perusal over those years you've noticed them?
In one it is considered that the NIST fea did not transfer as much load to the perimeter as was the case in reality. Increased load PLUS catenary forces then cause inward bowing.
For that matter its been noticed that its possible that a fire induced core column creep shortened the core over time and that contributed to inward bowing.
Now, when did inward bowing begin, and when did the antenna drop?
Surely the problem here is that we are chasing Tony's arse about logic? Lets come at it from the right end. I'll do it wearing my engineering manager's hat.
There was inward bowing seems to be accepted fact.
Something caused it should go without saying.
It was either some consequence of CD OR a consequence of so called "natural" processes.
There was no CD - more rigorously there is not and never has been a pro CD hypothesis to prima facie standard to qualify as worthy of consideration.
.......

Do you have a better basis than NIST, where you can show sagging trusses caused the inward bowing of the exterior columns? They said they couldn't show it, and my own analyses say the same thing, so I believe them.
Do you have a better basis than NIST, where you can show sagging trusses caused the inward bowing of the exterior columns? They said they couldn't show it, and my own analyses say the same thing, so I believe them.
Oz.
I'm not sure that those two words fit in the same sentence.For those not catching on, tony is subtly inserting that "pancake initiation" collapse mechanism. Bear your responses with that in mind and avoid letting the conflation take hold
Agreed on the conclusion. I was just laying out the steps.Covered it in my first sentence.
Tony I think this may be one of CTBUH's critique of NIST, because they said that NIST did not account for thermal contraction after the beams in the burned out areas of the buildings began to cool down. So we had thermal expansion, bowing against the resistance of the perimeters, sagging, then the steel stiffening as it cools down a bit AND shrinking in size while frozen in the sagged position. That pulled the buildings inward in ways not fully explained by the NIST Report, if I understood their critique correctly.Do you have a better basis than NIST, where you can show sagging trusses caused the inward bowing of the exterior columns? They said they couldn't show it, and my own analyses say the same thing, so I believe them.