Posted on 10/31/2001 3:16:12 PM PST by ErnBatavia
The explosions and raging fires severely weakened the remaining columns, which were already overloaded by the breaches caused by the crashes. “Jet fuel releases much more heat than paper and plastic, which typically fuel office fires,” said David A. Lucht, director of Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Center for Fire Safety Studies. Fireproofed steel loses half its strength when it reaches 1,100°F and fails rapidly above 1,600°F; temperatures inside the building were likely even higher.
Within a structure fire, temperatures can vary from normal room temperature to over 2000 degrees F. As a fire burns it uses up the oxygen and the result is a lot of black smoke because not all of the carbon could be oxidized. That doesn't mean that the fire is now burning at less than 800 degrees. It could easily be twice that hot.
Finally, who would be conducting this alleged 'investigation?'
This will be one of the most thouroughly investigated fires in history. A building collapse of this magnitude has never occurred before.
With over 300 firefighters lost in the collapse, fire investigators around the world will want to determine what can be done in the future to allow firefighters to safely and efficiently evacuate people and fight high-rise fires. Engineers and architechs will look at it to determine how the building design and materials could be improved. And new fire codes will be written as a result.
There are hundreds of people sifting through the rubble. Many of those people are trained fire investigators and structural engineers. Cameras were rolling from several different angles when the buildings collapsed. If there were explosives used, there will be evidence that cannot be covered up.
Well, yes, and no.
When such temperatures exist in the absence of oxygen, the super heated fuels form a plasma that flashes as it reaches the oxygen-rich atmosphere, causing a bright, pulsing flame, somewhat like a giant strobe candle. - That definately was not happening there. - It was a slow, smouldering, inhibited fire.
While this is true in an oxygen starved fire which suddenly gets a rush of oxygen (backdraft condition), this fire was vented and free burning around the perimiter where the plane had entered or windows had been knocked out by the people who were jumping.
Just because there was black smoke does not mean the temperatures could not have been above 800 degrees. The adiabatic flame temperature of jet fuel is 3140 degrees F. Even when a pool a jet fuel is burning in open air it will produce large amounts of black smoke. That same jet fuel burning within the WTC was radiating a great deal of the heat to the surrounding structure. It was not a smoldering fire. There were flames visible in many areas of the involved floors.
ping
They were not in the towers -- they were in another building in the WTC complex.
There was a day care center, but it was not in the towers. It was in another building in the complex. I just don't remember whether it was 4, 5, or 6 WTC. They were 9-story buildings on the same block.
Thank you for posting that. That's the accurate description of what happened. It was not a jumper who killled him as the other posters remember.
Terrorism is a police matter. JFKerry.
My stepson's best friend worked in a bldg. next to the WTC and he saw 3 people holding hands jumping. I recall a report by a big insurance company who estimated a number like 300 or 600 who jumped. I cannot remember which company so don't quote me, but I do remember hearing it or reading it. I also want to know why there is never a report of the number of people who were injured in the news, it was way up there too.
OMG, I hadn't seen all these jumper pics. The anger, hate and rage is returning, bigtime.
Is there a final respository of all 9-11 pics, pc?
I have looked and can not find anything either.
Have heard that there were photographers that were taking pictures on the bottom of the towers but have not been able to find any of the pictures.
Just from watching the DVD "9/11" you realize that the number is well into the dozens, perhaps a couple of hundred all together.
On that DVD, shot by a french film duo documenting a NYFD recruits first year on the job, you hear the "crash!" of bodies hitting the atrium roof at least two dozen times alone. The CBS DVD on the attacks feature several eyewitness that escaped the tower, only to watch several people hitting the ground right in front of them.
The most heartbreaking to listen to is a man's description of watching a pregnant woman hit....I won't detail it any further than that. Horrific applies.....
I'll never forget mine.
I temper it with unconditional love for the men and women who are out there every day dismantling AQ and their enablers to keep me relatively sane.
You only think that because you europeans saw some of it.
Only ONE, count 'em, ONE! WTC victim was ever shown on US media. That was the FD chaplain, and that was only because there was a rumor that he was gay, and therefore a member of a hyper-protected minority.
It's not clear that all jumped to their deaths (though some clearly did - my brother was an eyewitness to a couple who held hands and jumped and seperated on their way down).
I think some (maybe most) who appear to have jumped blacked out from the intense heat and just fell out the windows.
We will never know, really.
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