January 21, 2002—The National Institute of Standards and Technology is expanding its inquiry into the September 11th terrorist attacks and specifically, the details of how and why the twin towers collapsed.
A NIST structural engineering expert is serving on a small panel of experts who are collecting on-site, baseline data on the World Trade Center buildings and their failure. The FEMA-funded panel was organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers and also includes representatives from the American Institute of Steel Construction, the American Concrete Institute, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Council on Tall Buildings.
Before federal public assistance funds can be disbursed for reconstruction of any building to replace the twin towers, FEMA is required to identify the strictest building codes among relevant local, state, and national codes and to require these codes in the design and construction of replacement buildings. FEMA is funding NIST to compare the New York City and New York State building codes with national building codes in three areas: earthquakes, wind, and fire. Four NIST experts who work closely on the relevant national codes produced by the National Earthquake and Hazard Reduction Program, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Fire Protection Association, and the International Code Council are conducting the study. For more information, contact the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
