Welcome to DU!
    The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
    Join the community:
    Create a free account
    Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
    Become a Star Member
    Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
    All Forums
        Issue Forums
        Culture Forums
        Alliance Forums
        Region Forums
        Support Forums
        Help & Search
    
Creative Speculation
In reply to the discussion: Cutter Charges in the North Tower... [View all]ryan_cats
(2,061 posts)58. I seem to recall...
        I seem to recall that the perimeter columns were to take the wind loads and the core was to take the gravity loads.
It's would have been impossible for the WTC to simply fall over.  Falling over requires a pivot point able to support the entire weight of the building.  When WTC2 finally collapsed, you saw the upper block of the building start to topple over but it soon overwhelmed the 'hinge' and then just fell straight down. 
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
  Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
						
							74 replies
							
								
 = new reply since forum marked as read
							
						
      
      
					
						Highlight:
						NoneDon't highlight anything
						5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
						RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
					
                    
					
                    
        
        so you can tell from that picture that the puff is "exiting out of a single window"?
        zappaman
        Jan 2012
        #4
      
        
        But you haven't found it yet: keep looking. That link proves NOTHING. n/t.
        apocalypsehow
        Jun 2012
        #71
      
        
        There are reports of the air blowing down much further than that during the collapse.
        Bolo Boffin
        Jan 2012
        #10
      
        
        When the volume of a single floor went from 400K cubic feet to zero in fractions of seconds
        hack89
        Jan 2012
        #15
      
        
        "the installation of the charges took place at night and/or on the weekends when people weren't work
        zappaman
        Jan 2012
        #22
      
        
        maybe you and gyroscope can settle this and then get back to the rest of us
        OnTheOtherHand
        Jan 2012
        #29
      
        
        If the core of the tower collapses straight down while the perimeter remains stationary
        hack89
        Jan 2012
        #35
      
        
        The professional building community has been discussing these issues for some time.
        AZCat
        Jan 2012
        #39
      
        
        Hack says that "Buildings are not designed with vertical static loads in mind."
        jesters
        Jan 2012
        #43