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NIST Releases Report On WTC 7 Collapse

photonic writes "After three years of study, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finally released its report on the collapse of World Trade Center building 7. The main conclusion is that the building came down due to fire, not due to debris damage or some conspiracy demolition team. The fire started pretty small after the collapse of WTC 1, but was left to burn several floors out completely. The important finding is that the collapse was triggered by thermal expansion of beams, which could detach asymmetrically loaded girders from the main columns. Some limited pancaking of floors then caused a lack of lateral support and buckling of a single column. This triggered the failure of the entire core of the building, which finally fell down as a single piece. Crackpot theories can be discussed elsewhere; please limit the discussion to the science here. All documents can be found at NIST's WTC page, which read like a porn magazine for finite element junkies. Simulation movies are also available. And yes, they used Beowulf clusters to do the simulations, some of which lasted for several months."

26 of 1,331 comments (clear)

  1. nooo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    And yes, they used Beowulf clusters to do the simulations, some of which lasted for several months."

    No! You stole my +5 funny!!

    1. Re:nooo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      you stole my first post!

  2. You've GOT to be kidding! by cmacb · · Score: 5, Funny

    Crackpot theories can be discussed elsewhere; please limit the discussion to the science here.

    1. Re:You've GOT to be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think he meant to say

      Science can be discussed elsewhere; please limit the discussion to the crackpot theories here.

    2. Re:You've GOT to be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I have a simple, intuitive explanation for 9/11 that should satisfy everyone: some shit got fucked up.

      Umm, no. The RIAA, SCO and MS black ops teams found out somebody was downloading Britney Spears MP3s on a linux box and kinda overreacted.

    3. Re:You've GOT to be kidding! by beav007 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Quick, call the Mythbusters!

  3. Imposter! by cpt+kangarooski · · Score: 5, Funny

    Crackpot theories can be discussed elsewhere; please limit the discussion to the science here.

    What site is this, and what has it done with Slashdot

    --
    -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
    1. Re:Imposter! by KillerBob · · Score: 5, Funny

      Optimist... :P

      I'd like to introduce you to Tabbed Browsing.

      --
      If you believe everything you read, you'd better not read. - Japanese proverb
  4. Wake up sheeple! by neoform · · Score: 4, Funny

    Zombies obviously did it.

    --
    MABASPLOOM!
    1. Re:Wake up sheeple! by maxume · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let's leave McCain out of this one.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
  5. Erm... by jez9999 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Crackpot theories can be discussed elsewhere; please limit the discussion to the science here.

    You must be new here.

  6. Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's just get this out of the way first. BULLSHIT!

    The rest of the world knows something suspicious went on, but America has their head in the sand.
    Not long after this shit, there was a building in Europe, where the fire was so intense, it burned everything off. The steel structure was still standing but oxidizing flame was enough to melt or buckle steel in the trade center? The sheer ignorance of the American populace astounds me.

    Interesting. Then I am curious as to what temperature would be required to melt and/or buckle the structure of your aluminum foil hat?

  7. Re:obligatory comment. by Skiron · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Yes, But did they run linux?" No, XP/Vista - that's whay it took 3 years to do the graphics.

  8. Unpossible! by mrbah · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do they mean to say that a fire can cause a building to collapse? Next they'll be telling us damage to structures following earthquakes isn't manmade.

  9. Crackpot theories can be discussed elsewhere by fotoguzzi · · Score: 5, Funny

    but you can still publish goatse links here.

    --
    Their they're doing there hair.
  10. Why is the crackpot theory not debunked yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If someone left a crackpot burning, couldn't that have started the fire in the first place?
    Ipso diabolico facto nonsensicalico.

    These guys have resources. It could be quite damaging to be caught with a smoldering crackpot.
    Ergo, they crash a plane into the building to cover it all up.

    Sheeple, the answers are RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, just light them up and breathe deeply.

  11. Re:obligatory comment. by jrothwell97 · · Score: 4, Funny

    no, that was because the technician downloaded Smiley Central.

    --
    Those using pirated Tinysoft signatures(TM) are a real threat to society and should all be thrown in jail.
  12. Wait a damn minute, here! by PrimeWaveZ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Asking Slashdot readers to stick to science, refrain from discussing conspiracies, AND taking the fun out of a beowulf cluster reference?

    This submitter is a black belt troll and you all know it!

  13. Re:Yes, but... by hivebrain · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's just one of many theories. Some say it was done with Pop Rocks and Soda. I happen to believe it was done with Mentos and Diet Coke.

  14. Re:oh ok by kae_verens · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nobody wants a set of dominoes that large.

    Speak for yourself...

  15. Re:oh ok by Walkingshark · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nobody wants a set of dominoes that large.

    Wow, you've never met a human male, have you?

    --
    The world you experience is only a close approximation of reality.
  16. Re:oh ok by Shihar · · Score: 4, Funny

    The way that a skyscraper is designed and built favors it falling more or less straight down rather to one side or the other. The reason being that if it were to topple, as remote a possibility as that is, the building shouldn't be allowed to hit other buildings. Nobody wants a set of dominoes that large.

    I can safely say with 100% assurance that that is absolutely not true. I would kill to see a set of dominoes that size.

  17. Re:oh ok by R2.0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Another big reason large buildings tend to fall straight down is that is the direction gravity is pulling them."

    Bullshit - Gravity is just a theory, just like Evolution.

    --
    "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
  18. I have proof Jim Henson did it by scourfish · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you Buy Fraggle Rock, Season 2 on DVD and watch episode 36, titled "The Doozer Contest," you will find, about 3 and a half minutes in, Flange saying "Look the Fraggles are Destroying the North Tower" and then all of the Doozers Cheer. If you don't believe that this is proof positive that Jim Henson was behind the events of September 11th, then you are a disinformation agent and a muppet of the shadow government.

  19. And now for something completely different by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Knock-knock

    Who's there?

    Nine-eleven.

    Nine-eleven who?

    YOU SAID YOU WOULD NEVER FORGET!

  20. Re:So? by Free+the+Cowards · · Score: 4, Funny

    Or why the BBC reported its fall 20 minutes before it actually fell.

    Is that seriously the best argument you fuckheads can come up with? That a news organization got a fact wrong? Don't you morons remember "Dewey Defeats Truman"?

    --
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