Buis, Hadasha Jayne S.

REACTION PAPER (WORLD TRADE CENTER TWIN-TOWER )

The World Trade Center was the tallest building in the World. It was great and magnificent in
every way. The design was actually inspired with the idea of Subway System in New York. We know
that having many floors and levels would also require more vertical clearances to access the upper
ones. To avoid having many shafts to take up space, there were 2 sky lobbies to shift elevators from
local one. This is smart response to space planning inside. The steel reinforcements were also
coated with fire coating in response to fire hazard and safety. Though, I believed that buildings and
structures so magnificent such as these undergo extensive planning and studies, I could say that
every building would still have its limit no matter how prepared the team behind.

The study conducted by the Structural Engineer, Adrian Brűgger suggests that terrorism
attack had an impact that leaves compromise. If the steel was prepared for the fire, the impact that
the plane had such as its' speed, degree of fire made the steel reinforcement weakens overtime
given that there were loads applied/ being carried by each floor. The idea is that the plane destroyed
the balance in the building. Since balance is destroyed, the beams deflect inwards changing the load
distribution thus extreme heat also pulls the walls that causes it to sag. If one floor sagged, the floors
under would follow and would carry double load from the collapsed floor. Experts say, it is called
pancaking. Though, according to the YouTube video, that it took 2 hours before the first building
collapsed and it was within 11 seconds that it was totally wiped out. I think, the planning and
preparation in the design and construction really would work if the fire was extinguished within the 2-
hours time-frame. But given the situation, mainly, it would be hard to extinguished the fire as well as
save all the people at the same time. It so chaotic that one would really value saving people than
saving the building itself.

The short documentary video itself said that there were parts preserved and a museum was
made in the same exact location where the Twin Tower stand. This is to commemorate the lives and
the event happened. It was also shown in the video that there was one column left standing and
preserved there.

To conclude, I would say that a prepared planning and study could never be really a 100
percent perfect. There could be areas of lapses and mini downfall. Each building design could be
prepared but only with a limited no. Of time and exposure to such phenomena. One could create
a fire safe building but that doesn't mean that if fire happened, it would be fireproof for longest
10/30/2021

time. Or an earthquake building but only to limited strength /magnitude in Richter scale. It could
also mean that there would be an immediate action needed and should be taken to prolong the
life of structures and buildings when exposed to different calamities and phenomena.

Source: How Did Jet Fuel Melt the Steel Beams in the Twin Tower? Retrieved from:
https://youtu.be/4LFZA0Rx1gg