What Did and Did not Cause Collapse of WTC Twin Towers in New York
I have read subject article by Bazant, Le, Greening and Benson (BLGB below) in Journal of Engineering Mechanics, ASCE, Vol. 134 (2008), with great interest and would like to make the following observations:
There is no need to describe the destruction of WTC1 using differential equations. Simple math + observations of videos prove the BLGB model and paper wrong.
BLGB suggests that upper part C drops on the lower structure of WTC1 – part A – that collapses. During collapse a layer of debris is formed – part B. What happens using the BLGB model is easily calculated by simple calculations.
1. Weight and Density of part C
Near the top, the specific mass (of WTC1) (mass per unit height) μ = 1 020 000 kg/m or 1 020 ton/m according BLGB. With a storey height 3.6 m, the weight of a storey is 3 672 ton. Assuming the upper part C is 53 m high (14.7 storeys), total weight of part C above the initiation zone for collapse is 54 060 tons. Part C is supposed to drop down and cause collapse of part A. Part A is quite similar structural wise to part C.
Using a floor area of 4 000 m² the volume of part C is 212 000 m3, thus the uniform (which it is not) density of the upper part C is 0.255 ton/m3 or 255 kg/m3 according BLGB. It is not very much! Reason is that there is plenty of air inside a storey structure.
2. Density of Rubble – part B
The known typical (sic) density (sic) of rubble, μc = 4 100 000 kg/m or 4 100 ton/m according BLGB. The density of this rubble is then exactly 1 025 kg/m3 (as the floor area is 4 000 m²), which is the density of salt water (that ships float in).
Thus, when one typical storey of WTC1 is homogeneously crushed according BLGB, it becomes 0.896 m high. As it was originally 3.6 m high it has been compressed 75.1%
3. Initiation of Collapse – the first Crush – Formation of Part B
Thus at initiation – part C – 54 060 tons (actually the lowest floor of part C) – crushes the uppermost storey of part A, the lower structure of WTC1 and compresses it into a 0.896 m thick layer of debris/rubble that becomes part B. Air/smoke is ejected sideways.
This layer, part B, is resting on what’s left of part A or actually the top floor of what remains of part A. This compression takes place at increasing velocity. Only air is ejected sideways out. The weight of the rubble - 3670 tons - is uniformly distributed on the floor below - 918 kg/m² - and the floor should be able to carry that weight according NIST FAQ.
What about the part C and its 54 060 tons? Is it acting on the debris layer part B? Not really - part C is intact and only its bottom floor is in contact with part B. The columns of part C are now not in contact with the columns of part A below due to this layer of debris, but let's assume that part C columns crushes the columns below as suggested by BLGB, so that destruction can continue!
The roof line has then dropped 2.704 m!
4. The second Crush – Part B doubles in Thickness
Then the part C + part B (the layer of debris) crushes the second uppermost floor of part A and compresses it into another 0.896 m thick layer of debris that is added to part B. Part B is thus 1.792 m high or thick after two floors of part A have been crushed. The part C columns now crush the columns of part A again (how?) so that the destruction can continue.
The roof line has then dropped 5.408 m! The velocity is increasing. More air/smoke is ejected sideways but only from the storey being crushed.
And so on!
5. The Displacement of the Roof Line of Part C during Destruction
According to paper The Missing Jolt: A Simple Refutation of the NIST-Bazant Collapse Hypothesis by Graeme MacQueen, Tony Szamboti, January, 2009 (http://journalof911studies.com/volume/2008/TheMissingJolt4.pdf ) and careful observations there we now know that the roof line of part C dropped (displaced downwards) 35 m in 3.17 seconds at increasing velocity. This drop is also verified by BLGB.
Every time a storey is crushed, part C drops 2.704 m and an 0.896 m layer of debris is formed according BLGB, and the part C columns also destroy the columns below - how is not clear as there is a thick layer of rubble – part B in between!
Thus, when the roof line has dropped 35 m, 12.94 storeys, total height 46.6 m (!) of part A have been crushed and have been replaced by an 11.56 m thick layer of debris – part B. 46.6 m of columns of part A have been crushed at perimeter and core, the latter being mixed in the debris. I assume the wall columns are dropping down to ground outside the building.
MacQueen/Szamboti believe that only 9 (or 9.72) storeys have been crushed after 3.17 seconds, but according BLGB it should be 12.94 storeys! MacQueen/Szamboti forget that there should be an 11.56 m thick layer of debris below the upper part C, when its roof line has dropped 35 m!
6. Verification of Parts A and B using Video Recordings of the Destruction
Regardless – does anybody see an 11.56 m thick layer of debris – part B – on any video of WTC1 destruction after a 35 m drop of the upper part of WTC1, part C according BLGB? Or that 46.6 m of wall columns have disappeared?
And does anybody believe that an upper part C with density 255 kg/m3 can produce an 11.56 m thick layer of debris in 3.17 seconds? Only BLGB suggests so, but there is no evidence for it.
This layer of debris should then be moving at a velocity of >20 m/s. Only air/smoke should be ejected from the next storey below being crushed, where more debris is formed.
7. Situation when Part C Roof Line has dropped 100 and 200 m
Now – when part C has dropped 100 m and 37 storeys have been crushed, the layer of debris – part B – should be 33 m thick on top of which a 53 m high part C should be visible (forgetting the mast). 133 m of walls should be missing! You do not need differential equations to calculate this. Simple math suffices!
An when part C has dropped 200 m and 74 storeys of WTC1 have been crushed, the layer of debris should be an impressive 66 m thick with part C still riding on top of it.
Imagine a layer of debris - density 1.025 ton/m3 - 66 m high. Over 4 000 m² floor area it is almost a big cube of 264 000 tons of rubble!! On top of which part C - 54 060 tons float. Part C is 53 m high! Add the rubble - part B - and we have a moving mass that is 119 m high when the part C roof line has dropped 200 meters.
Below this 119 m high pile, a storey of part - floor 37 - is just being crushed. How the columns of part C - 66 m above floor 37 can crush the columns there is not clear. 266 m of walls should also be gone. There are another 36 storeys still to crush! About 133 m of WTC1 remains to be crushed. Can it be seen?
Evidently not.
Conclusion
Simple observations of any video of the WTC1 destruction prove the BLGB model wrong.
I have read subject article by Bazant, Le, Greening and Benson (BLGB below) in Journal of Engineering Mechanics, ASCE, Vol. 134 (2008), with great interest and would like to make the following observations:
There is no need to describe the destruction of WTC1 using differential equations. Simple math + observations of videos prove the BLGB model and paper wrong.
BLGB suggests that upper part C drops on the lower structure of WTC1 – part A – that collapses. During collapse a layer of debris is formed – part B. What happens using the BLGB model is easily calculated by simple calculations.
1. Weight and Density of part C
Near the top, the specific mass (of WTC1) (mass per unit height) μ = 1 020 000 kg/m or 1 020 ton/m according BLGB. With a storey height 3.6 m, the weight of a storey is 3 672 ton. Assuming the upper part C is 53 m high (14.7 storeys), total weight of part C above the initiation zone for collapse is 54 060 tons. Part C is supposed to drop down and cause collapse of part A. Part A is quite similar structural wise to part C.
Using a floor area of 4 000 m² the volume of part C is 212 000 m3, thus the uniform (which it is not) density of the upper part C is 0.255 ton/m3 or 255 kg/m3 according BLGB. It is not very much! Reason is that there is plenty of air inside a storey structure.
2. Density of Rubble – part B
The known typical (sic) density (sic) of rubble, μc = 4 100 000 kg/m or 4 100 ton/m according BLGB. The density of this rubble is then exactly 1 025 kg/m3 (as the floor area is 4 000 m²), which is the density of salt water (that ships float in).
Thus, when one typical storey of WTC1 is homogeneously crushed according BLGB, it becomes 0.896 m high. As it was originally 3.6 m high it has been compressed 75.1%
3. Initiation of Collapse – the first Crush – Formation of Part B
Thus at initiation – part C – 54 060 tons (actually the lowest floor of part C) – crushes the uppermost storey of part A, the lower structure of WTC1 and compresses it into a 0.896 m thick layer of debris/rubble that becomes part B. Air/smoke is ejected sideways.
This layer, part B, is resting on what’s left of part A or actually the top floor of what remains of part A. This compression takes place at increasing velocity. Only air is ejected sideways out. The weight of the rubble - 3670 tons - is uniformly distributed on the floor below - 918 kg/m² - and the floor should be able to carry that weight according NIST FAQ.
What about the part C and its 54 060 tons? Is it acting on the debris layer part B? Not really - part C is intact and only its bottom floor is in contact with part B. The columns of part C are now not in contact with the columns of part A below due to this layer of debris, but let's assume that part C columns crushes the columns below as suggested by BLGB, so that destruction can continue!
The roof line has then dropped 2.704 m!
4. The second Crush – Part B doubles in Thickness
Then the part C + part B (the layer of debris) crushes the second uppermost floor of part A and compresses it into another 0.896 m thick layer of debris that is added to part B. Part B is thus 1.792 m high or thick after two floors of part A have been crushed. The part C columns now crush the columns of part A again (how?) so that the destruction can continue.
The roof line has then dropped 5.408 m! The velocity is increasing. More air/smoke is ejected sideways but only from the storey being crushed.
And so on!
5. The Displacement of the Roof Line of Part C during Destruction
According to paper The Missing Jolt: A Simple Refutation of the NIST-Bazant Collapse Hypothesis by Graeme MacQueen, Tony Szamboti, January, 2009 (http://journalof911studies.com/volume/2008/TheMissingJolt4.pdf ) and careful observations there we now know that the roof line of part C dropped (displaced downwards) 35 m in 3.17 seconds at increasing velocity. This drop is also verified by BLGB.
Every time a storey is crushed, part C drops 2.704 m and an 0.896 m layer of debris is formed according BLGB, and the part C columns also destroy the columns below - how is not clear as there is a thick layer of rubble – part B in between!
Thus, when the roof line has dropped 35 m, 12.94 storeys, total height 46.6 m (!) of part A have been crushed and have been replaced by an 11.56 m thick layer of debris – part B. 46.6 m of columns of part A have been crushed at perimeter and core, the latter being mixed in the debris. I assume the wall columns are dropping down to ground outside the building.
MacQueen/Szamboti believe that only 9 (or 9.72) storeys have been crushed after 3.17 seconds, but according BLGB it should be 12.94 storeys! MacQueen/Szamboti forget that there should be an 11.56 m thick layer of debris below the upper part C, when its roof line has dropped 35 m!
6. Verification of Parts A and B using Video Recordings of the Destruction
Regardless – does anybody see an 11.56 m thick layer of debris – part B – on any video of WTC1 destruction after a 35 m drop of the upper part of WTC1, part C according BLGB? Or that 46.6 m of wall columns have disappeared?
And does anybody believe that an upper part C with density 255 kg/m3 can produce an 11.56 m thick layer of debris in 3.17 seconds? Only BLGB suggests so, but there is no evidence for it.
This layer of debris should then be moving at a velocity of >20 m/s. Only air/smoke should be ejected from the next storey below being crushed, where more debris is formed.
7. Situation when Part C Roof Line has dropped 100 and 200 m
Now – when part C has dropped 100 m and 37 storeys have been crushed, the layer of debris – part B – should be 33 m thick on top of which a 53 m high part C should be visible (forgetting the mast). 133 m of walls should be missing! You do not need differential equations to calculate this. Simple math suffices!
An when part C has dropped 200 m and 74 storeys of WTC1 have been crushed, the layer of debris should be an impressive 66 m thick with part C still riding on top of it.
Imagine a layer of debris - density 1.025 ton/m3 - 66 m high. Over 4 000 m² floor area it is almost a big cube of 264 000 tons of rubble!! On top of which part C - 54 060 tons float. Part C is 53 m high! Add the rubble - part B - and we have a moving mass that is 119 m high when the part C roof line has dropped 200 meters.
Below this 119 m high pile, a storey of part - floor 37 - is just being crushed. How the columns of part C - 66 m above floor 37 can crush the columns there is not clear. 266 m of walls should also be gone. There are another 36 storeys still to crush! About 133 m of WTC1 remains to be crushed. Can it be seen?
Evidently not.
Conclusion
Simple observations of any video of the WTC1 destruction prove the BLGB model wrong.