Extreme Steel Wastage from WTC 1 or 2 and WTC 7

E x t r em e S t eel W ast age f rom WTC 1 or 2 and WTC 7 W ri t tenby Ja m es- S p eci a l t h anks to an i n de p e n d e n t re se a r ch e r w h o m p r ov id e d m a t eri a l I d i d n o t kn ow e xi st e d . I h aveb e en in t er e st e d in t h e ex t r e m e st e el w a st a g e t h a t was st u d ie d fr o m a st e e l b e a m a n d col u m n a f t e r t h r e e steel fra m e d b u il d i n g s co ll a p se d o n S e p t e m b e r 11, 2 0 0 1 . T h e cir cu m stan ce s a r o u n d t h e st e el w a st a ge h a s b e en d e scri b e d in vari o u s a r t i cl e s a n d journals as "unu s ual", "unexpected", "novel", "ver y unusu a l" , "perhaps t he d eepes t m ys t er y u n co ve re d in t h e i n vesti g a t i o n", a n d a W o r ch e st e r P o lyte ch ni c I nsti t u t e (WP I) a rti cl e st a t es it h a s " co n f o u n d e d t h e scie n ti ﬁ c co m m u n i t y. " T h e WP I ﬁ r e - w ise p r o f e sso r s w e re " sh o cke d " by t h e " sw i ss ch e e se " a p p ear a n ce o f t h e st e e l . T h e r e w a s ha l f a n i n ch t hi ckness wast ed aw ay f rom t he WTC 7 bea m . T he st ee l f rom WTC 1 or 2 show ed " a one - i n ch co l u m n h a s b e e n r e d u ce d to h a l f -inch t hi ckn e ss. Its e d g e s-- w h i ch are cu rl e d like a p a p e r scroll-- h ave b e en t h in n e d t o a l m o st razor sh a r p ness." [ 1 ] T h i s sho w s ho w m uch st e el w a st a g e we a re di scu ssi n g. I have rea d a ndrerea d t he F E M A an d N I S T r ep orts concerning t he sam pl e f rom WTC1 or 2 andthe sam pl e f rom WTC 7. S om ethi ng di d n ot sit ri gh t w i t h t he se sa m pl es i n m y m ind. FE M A an d N I S T d et e r m i n e d t ha t a corr o sio n / erosi o n me cha n ism w a s be hind the at t a ck. I b e ca m e i n t e re st e d in t he a ct u a l mi cr o structure of the ste e l w h e re t he a t t a ck o cc u rr e d . I h ave d et e rmi n e d t h a t t h e at t a ck on t h e st e e l w a s f ast, a s it h a p p e n e d in l ess t h a n 1 0's o f ho urs , and i t w a s l o calize d . Thi s i s a ll fr o m r e a d i n g t h e FE M Aand NI S Trep o rt s a n d det e r m i n in g a t i m e fra m e fr o ma co u p le o f a r t icl e s w here se ve re ste e l w a sta g e w a s o b se r ve d s h o rt l y a f t er 911 . L ast b u t n o t l east I w i l l ex p o u n d u p o n t h e F E M A stat e m e n t in re g a rds to the a t t a ck o n t h e st e e l re su l t i n g in t he se vere w a st a g e ; "It i s a lso p o ss i b le th a t t h e p h e n o m e n o n st a rt e d p ri o r to co lla p se a nd a cce ler a t e d t he w e a ke n in g o f t he st e e l s truct u re.” FAST Af t er t he N ISTstu d ie d t h e m icro st r u ct u re o f t h e st e e l f romK- 16( sa m p le fr o m WT C1 or 2 ) f r o m a " co rrod e d" area, t h ey stat e d in r ep o rt N C S TA R1- 3C : H o w e ve r, i t d i d n o t a p p e a r th a t nor m ali za t ion ( h e at tr e a tme n t d e si g n ed t o pr o d u ce a u n i f ormmicr o structure ) n o r ho m o g e n i za ti o n ( h e a t tr e a t e d d e si g ned to e li m in a te o r mi n imizecom p o si t io n a l se g re g a t i o n ) o f t h e m a t e ria l o cc u rr e d . I f n o r m a l i za t ion h a d b e e n co m p l e t e d , t h e f e rrite g r a in size w o uld b e f a r m ore u ni f o r m t h r o u g h o u t t he p l a t e t han o b se r ve d in F i g . 6-2 l a . F u rth e r, t h e f a c t t h a t the p e a rl i te w as h e a v i l y

Extreme Steel Wastage from WTC 1 or 2 and WTC 7

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