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Structural Response of World Trade Center Buildings 1, 2 and 7 to Impact and Fire Damage

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Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted an extensive investigation of the collapse of World Trade Center towers (WTC 1 and WTC 2) and the WTC 7 building. This paper describes the component, subsystem, and global analyses performed for the reconstruction of the structural response of WTC buildings 1, 2, and 7 to impact and fire damage. To illustrate the component and subsystem analyses, the approach taken for simulating the performance of concrete slabs and shear stud connectors in composite floors subject to fire conditions are presented, as well as steel floor framing connections for beams and girders. The development of the global models from the component and subsystem analyses is briefly described, including the sets of input data used to bound the probable conditions of impact and fire damage. The final analysis results that were used to develop the probable collapse hypotheses, and a comparison of the results against observed events, are presented for each building. A review of research activities focused on improving understanding of structural system response to multi-floor fires following the WTC disaster is also provided.

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Notes

  1. This is a publication of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is not subject to copyright in the United States. NIST is a nonregulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The purpose of NIST investigations was to improve the safety and structural integrity of buildings in the United States. NIST does not have the statutory authority to make findings of fault nor negligence by individuals or organizations. By law, no part of any report resulting from a NIST investigation into a building failure or from an investigation under the National Construction Safety Team Act may be used in any suit or action for damages arising out of any matter mentioned in such reports.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    Therese P. McAllister, John L. Gross & Fahim Sadek

  2. Applied Research Associates, 2672 Bayshore Pkwy, Suite 1035, Mountain View, CA, 94043, USA

    Steven Kirkpatrick & Robert A. MacNeill

  3. Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc., 41 Seyon Street, Bldg. 1, Suite 500, Waltham, MA, 02453, USA

    Mehdi Zarghamee, Omer O. Erbay & Andrew T. Sarawit

Authors
  1. Therese P. McAllister
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  2. John L. Gross
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  3. Fahim Sadek
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  4. Steven Kirkpatrick
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  5. Robert A. MacNeill
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  6. Mehdi Zarghamee
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  7. Omer O. Erbay
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  8. Andrew T. Sarawit
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Therese P. McAllister.

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This is a publication of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is not subject to copyright in the United States.

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McAllister, T.P., Gross, J.L., Sadek, F. et al. Structural Response of World Trade Center Buildings 1, 2 and 7 to Impact and Fire Damage. Fire Technol 49, 709–739 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-012-0289-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-012-0289-2

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