Well one theory is that the buildings are just a steel skeleton with concrete walls. The massive hit "liquified" (not really, but there's no real way to describe it) the concrete, weakening it to the point where collapse was inevitable. That's a lot of weight for a steel skeleton to hold up, especially if the structure that's integral to the skeleton is weakened.

 

I'm a worried guys, I'm the only NY registered member to check in since the attack. I was in no real danger. I am about a half hour from the city, but my friend was actually in the downtown area heading for a meeting when the second plane hit the first tower. He is held up in a hotel up town. He ran from 28th street to Central Park! That's something like 50+ city blocks!! This is sickening. And I has really hit close to home. May God have mercy on the souls of the innocent and strike down the cowards who have done this with all the fury he can muster!

 

I seriously doubt there were any other charges. Watching the video, the floors where the planes struck burned until they collapsed, and the weight of the floors above took out the floors below until the whole buildings were gone.

 

I was reading that these buildings are steel "cones". There has been talk that if the fires cut the water supply to the areas affected that the fires could be hot enough to melt the steel - therefore, weakening the structure.

It is strange that they came straight down. Wasn't there a report of an explosion near the base of one tower?

 

I too had thought the same thing as Tedow.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tedow
[B]I haven't heard any mention of this so far: It strikes me as very unlikely/impossible that the impact of even a large plane with one of the WTC towers would cause the whole thing to collapse. Straight down, no less. I mean have you looked at where the planes hit? They're way up at the top. The mass of a building that large is just monstrous compared to a 767. I have a sneaking suspicion that there might have been secondary charges planted at the base of the towers.

 

There was a report that a New York official had said that there were ancillary blasts after the crash. The belief was there could have been a charge on the plane and one in the second structure.

 

this is the sickest thing that ive ever seen in my life......... people were actually jumping from the world trade center after it got hit. one guy interviewed said he actually heard people drowning in the elevator and saw another man without skin runnning down the stairs screaming....i think we all know what this is coming down too.....w...w...3 and it pretty f*cking scary

 

I heard a radio interview with a guy who designs steel frame high rises. He said that a tall building is not designed the take the impact of a direct hit by a jetliner (vs. earthquakes, etc.). He said those were horrific impacts, hugely greater than design tolerances, and the entire steel structure of each tower was instantly compromised beyond its ability to support the weight of the building.

 

Well, I heard a report about charges at the base too, but then they were refuted, apparently. The video makes clear that the collapses started at the site of the plane impacts, but I guess it could have started there because it was the weak link in the building after a concussion from below...