Silverstein Puts Safety First in New WTC Skyscrape

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Larry Silverstein, developer of the World Trade Center site, says he is building the safest building in America.

He has to. The 52-story skyscraper will be the first new building on the site where attacks by two hijacked planes felled the Twin Towers, killing nearly 3,000, including four Silverstein employees, on Sept. 11, 2001.

The fire that engulfed the Twin Towers spread to the No. 7 World Trade Center building nearby and destroyed it, too.

"Jeez, what a hunk of building that is," Silverstein, 73, said, approaching the new No. 7 WTC structure four days before a milestone ceremony in which the final steel beam will be hoisted and set atop the 750-foot-tall skyscraper designed by David Childs.

The building -- a sheath of glass that will glow with a soft blue light -- will look ethereal.

But with a core made of the strongest reinforced concrete around and able to withstand 12,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, the latest incarnation of the No. 7 World Trade Center will be 1.7 million square feet of strength draped in glamour.

The new skyscraper's design was intended to avoid the safety flaws that hastened the Twin Towers' collapse.

The core, built with concrete 2 feet thick, contains the stairs, the electrical system, the water sprinkler system, and the ventilation system. The stairs are 20 percent wider than those in the original WTC buildings and they will have automatic emergency lighting on the floor. The staircase ventilation system will be pressurized to suck out smoke.

In addition, strong steel beams that are anchored to the outside columns support each floor, instead of the lightweight trusses that melted in the towers.

The fireproofing is twice the thickness and 10 times the adhesiveness required by building code. It is designed so it will not flake off in extremely high temperatures, as the Twin Towers' fireproofing did on Sept. 11.

While there are those who doubt the building's success, Silverstein dismisses them as naysayers.

To support his optimistic view, Silverstein noted that Manhattan has only three new Class A buildings under construction.

The asking rent at Douglas Durst's new Bank of America building, under construction at 42nd Street and Avenue of the Americas, is about $100 per square foot, Silverstein said. In comparison, he will seek rents of about $50 a square foot at the new No. 7 World Trade Center.

In addition, New York's office vacancies are down significantly from a year ago, according to property research firm CoStar Group Inc.

Silverstein declined to comment on the building's cost, although some have placed it at about $700 million, including $50 million for the safety features.

The total for rebuilding the World Trade Center site is estimated at $7 billion, he said.

Silverstein will get $3.5 billion in insurance coverage from major carriers, after losing a court fight with them earlier this year.

His battle against other insurance carriers will continue on Monday, when a trial is scheduled to begin. If he prevails, Silverstein could get another $1.1 billion in reimbursement for the destroyed World Trade Center. He would use that to rebuild on the site. He intends to finance the rest with low-cost Liberty Bonds.

Meanwhile, he pays the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey $10 million a month to lease the World Trade Center site. He got the lease in July 2001 after intense competition with other real estate magnates.

Silverstein wanted the World Trade Center lease because he saw it as a gold mine. Of the 10 million square feet of office space there, 7 million were occupied by only 40 tenants, who Silverstein said were paying below-market rent.

After acquiring the lease, Silverstein would start his day at Windows on the World, the renowned restaurant on the top floor. He would work his way down, visiting tenants and asking them what they needed so they would stay when they re-signed leases at higher rents.

In looking back, Silverstein recalled that on Sept. 11, 2001, his wife made him keep his doctor's appointment. So he missed his usual breakfast at the famous restaurant in the sky and saw the tragedy unfold on television.

Fortress America

Air defence

Since World War Two, navies have taken the threat of air attack very seriously and devoted considerable efforts to protecting their ships. Radar is the main detection system used by warships to provide early warning of air attack, although some navies are assessing the potential of thermal-imaging systems to defeat enemy electronic counter measures. However, the success of a ship defence engagement largely is dependent on how well its combat informa-tion centre (CIC) is able to assess, analyse and respond to threats. Given the supersonic speed of modern attack aircraft and missiles with speeds up to 800 metres a second, reaction times must be measured in seconds rather than minutes. CICs have to respond to threats, select and launch weapons and differentiate between friendly and hostile contacts. There is also a requirement to co-ordinate with nearby friendly forces so the ship with the optimum solution engages the thr

HIGH-RISE RESCUE: The Eagle vertical takeoff and landing aerial rescue platform, designed by DM AeroSafe of Ashdod, Israel, would pull alongside a building to rescue up to 10 people at a time.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1025/p14s1-stct.html

ASTM Establishes Subcommittee on High-Rise Building External Evacuation Devices

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Professional Safety Anonymous 9/9/2004 8:58:00 AM

Originally Published:20040901.

Since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, increased attention has been focused on egress in emergency situations occurring in multistory buildings, as well as on the ability of emergency personnel to respond effectively and to access fires and other emergencies on higher floors.

Committee E06, Performance of Buildings, has established a new subcommittee: E06.77, High-Rise Building External Evacuation Devices. The group will develop and maintain "standards for terminology, specifications, performance, practices, and test methods for high-rise building external, multiple-occupant (10 or more) evacuation devices, for evacuation of persons who cannot use the primary evacuation routes to a safe zone." The standard's scope also includes platform-based devices, slides/chutes, and controlled-descent devices. It does not include rope or chain ladders; helicopters; or helicopters with platforms, parachutes, balloons, or evacuation chairs.

The new subcommittee will work on a series of standards for equipment to be used in situations in which primary routes to a safe zone are not accessible, with special attention to individuals with physical conditions or mobility impairments. One unique feature that some devices possess is the ability to transport emergency responders vertically to the scene. For more information, contact Steve Mawn at (610) 832-9726 or (smawn@astm.org).

ASTM has created a standard for evacuation of persons who cannot use primary exit routes to a safe zone.

Building Escape Parachutes - Good or Bad Idea? Posted Monday, October 15, 2001

Precision Aerodynamics is one of at least two manufacturers who have been advertising emergency escape chutes for high-rise buildings. Although the concept of using parachutes as a last ditched effort to escape from a building isn't new there has been new interest in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in New York. Below is an exert from Precision Aerodynamics' web site. Let us know what you think of the idea.

Emergency Building Escape Parachutes - A complete system ready to go including carrying bag and video. Training Required

The EscapeChute is our emergency parachute system that has been specifically developed for low altitude exit and deployment. A typical scenario for its use might be by high-rise tenants in the event of fire or earthquake.

You would never travel beyond swimming range from shore without the benefit of a life preserver. If you work or live in a high-rise building at an elevation that is beyond the reach of firefighting or rescue apparatus, your best hope for an emergency escape might not be found in the crowded stairwell. With the EscapeChute, you might easily deliver yourself to safety within a few precious seconds at a time during which those few precious seconds may make all the difference.

The EscapeChute canopy design is a slight variation of our popular B.A.S.E. equipment that is commonly used by sport enthusiasts who jump from low elevations like cliffs, bridges, and buildings, etc.

By following the simple instructions, the parachute is automatically deployed for you. All you have to do to initiate deployment is to jump out the window and away from the building. Simple steering and landing techniques can deliver you to the surface with confidence.

The EscapeChute is available in 8 different sizes for persons ranging from 100-250 lbs. Contact PA for detailed information.

Custom Order - from $1575.00

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