7 World Trade Center (1987–2001)

Last updated

7 World Trade Center
Wtc7 from wtc observation deck.jpg
The original 7 World Trade Center from the WTC observation deck. August 1992
7 World Trade Center (1987-2001)
Alternative names
  • WTC 7
  • 7 WTC
  • Building 7
  • Tower 7
  • Salomon Brothers Building
General information
StatusDestroyed
TypeOffice
Location250 Greenwich Street
Manhattan, New York 10006, United States
Coordinates 40°42′48″N74°00′43″W / 40.7133°N 74.0119°W / 40.7133; -74.0119
Construction startedOctober 2, 1984
CompletedMarch 1987
OpenedMay 1987
Destroyed September 11, 2001
Height
Architectural610 ft (190 m)
Technical details
Floor count47
Floor area2,000,000 sq ft (190,000 m2)
Lifts/elevators32
Design and construction
Architect(s) Emery Roth & Sons
Developer Silverstein Properties
Structural engineer Irwin Cantor
Main contractor Tishman Construction

7 World Trade Center (7 WTC, WTC-7, or Tower 7), colloquially known as Building 7 or the Salomon Brothers Building, was an office building constructed as part of the original World Trade Center Complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The tower was located on a city block bounded by West Broadway, Vesey Street, Washington Street, and Barclay Street on the east, south, west, and north, respectively. It was developed by Larry Silverstein, who held a ground lease for the site from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and designed by Emery Roth & Sons. It was destroyed during the September 11 attacks.

Contents

The original 7 World Trade Center was 47 stories tall, clad in red granite masonry, and occupied a trapezoidal footprint. An elevated walkway spanning Vesey Street connected the building to the World Trade Center plaza. The building was situated above a Consolidated Edison power substation, which imposed unique structural design constraints. When the building opened in 1987, Silverstein had difficulties attracting tenants. Salomon Brothers signed a long-term lease in 1988 and became the anchor tenant of 7 WTC.

On September 11, 2001, the structure was substantially damaged by debris when the nearby North Tower (1 World Trade Center) collapsed. The debris ignited fires on multiple lower floors of the building, which continued to burn uncontrolled throughout the afternoon. The building's internal fire suppression system lacked water pressure to fight the fires. It began to collapse when a critical internal column buckled and triggered cascading failure of nearby columns throughout, which were first visible from the exterior with the crumbling of a rooftop penthouse structure at 5:20:33 pm. This initiated the progressive collapse of the entire building at 5:21:10 pm, according to FEMA, [1] : 23  while the 2008 NIST study placed the final collapse time at 5:20:52 pm. [2] : 19, 21, 50–51  The collapse made the old 7 World Trade Center the first steel skyscraper known to have collapsed primarily due to uncontrolled fires. [3] [4] A new building on the site opened in 2006.

Architecture

Transfer trusses used on the 5-7th floors to redistribute load to the foundation FEMA 403 - Ch5 WTC7 - (Fig 5-5) 3D diagram showing relation of trusses and transfer girders.svg
Transfer trusses used on the 5–7th floors to redistribute load to the foundation

The original 7 World Trade Center was a 47-story building, designed by Emery Roth & Sons, with a red granite facade. The building was 610 feet (190 m) tall, with a trapezoidal footprint that was 330 ft (100 m) long and 140 ft (43 m) wide. [5] [6] Tishman Realty & Construction managed construction of the building. [5]

Features

Mechanical features

7 World Trade Center was constructed above a two-story Con Edison substation that had been located on the site since 1967. [7] [8] The substation had a caisson foundation designed to carry the weight of a future building of 25 stories containing 600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2). [9] However, the final design for 7 World Trade Center was for a much larger building than originally planned when the substation was built. [10] : xxxviii  The structural design of 7 World Trade Center therefore included a system of gravity column transfer trusses and girders, located between floors 5 and 7, to transfer loads to the smaller foundation. [2] : 5  Existing caissons installed in 1967 were used, along with new ones, to accommodate the building. The 5th floor functioned as a structural diaphragm, providing lateral stability and the distribution of loads between the new and old caissons. Above the 7th floor, the building's structure was a typical tube-frame design, with columns in the core and on the perimeter, and lateral loads resisted by perimeter moment frames. [9]

A shipping and receiving ramp, which served the entire World Trade Center complex, occupied the eastern quarter of the 7 World Trade Center footprint. The building was open below the 3rd floor, providing space for truck clearance on the shipping ramp. [9] The spray-on fireproofing for structural steel elements was gypsum-based Monokote, which had a two-hour fire rating for steel beams, girders, and trusses, and a three-hour rating for columns. [1] : 11 

Mechanical equipment was installed on floors four through seven, including 12  transformers on the 5th floor. Several emergency generators installed in the building were used by the New York City Office of Emergency Management, Salomon Smith Barney, and other tenants. [1] : 13  In order to supply the generators, 24,000 gallons (91,000 L) of diesel fuel were stored below ground level. [11] Diesel fuel distribution components were located at ground level, up to the ninth floor. [12] : 35  The roof of the building included a small west penthouse and a larger east mechanical penthouse. [7]

Offices

Each floor had 47,000 sq ft (4,400 m2) of rentable office space, which made the building's floor plans considerably larger than most office buildings in the city. [13] In all, 7 World Trade Center had 1,868,000 sq ft (173,500 m2) of office space. [1] : 1  Two pedestrian bridges connected the main World Trade Center complex, across Vesey Street, to the third floor of 7 World Trade Center. In addition to several acquired artworks, from artists such as Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Ross Bleckner, the lobby of 7 World Trade Center housed a large mural by artist Al Held, titled The Third Circle. [14]

History

7 World Trade Center in 1994 South view of WTC 7 before 9-11.jpg
7 World Trade Center in 1994
The building's footbridge and southeast corner on September 11, 2001 WTC-7 - IMG17 022.jpg
The building's footbridge and southeast corner on September 11, 2001

The groundbreaking ceremony was hosted on October 2, 1984. [8] The building opened in May 1987 as part of the World Trade Center. [15]

In June 1986, before construction was completed, developer Larry Silverstein signed Drexel Burnham Lambert as a tenant to lease the entire 7 World Trade Center building for $3 billion over a term of 30 years. [16] In December 1986, after the Boesky insider-trading scandal, Drexel Burnham Lambert canceled the lease, leaving Silverstein to find other tenants. [17] Spicer & Oppenheim agreed to lease 14 percent of the space, but for more than a year, as Black Monday and other factors adversely affected the Lower Manhattan real estate market, Silverstein was unable to find tenants for the remaining space. By April 1988, he had lowered the rent and made other concessions. [18]

In November 1988, Salomon Brothers withdrew from plans to build a large new complex at Columbus Circle in Midtown, instead agreeing to a 20-year lease for the top 19 floors of 7 World Trade Center. [19] The building was extensively renovated in 1989 to accommodate Salomon Brothers, and 7 World Trade Center alternatively became known as the Salomon Brothers building. [20] Most of the three existing floors were removed as tenants continued to occupy other stories, and more than 350 tons (U.S.) of steel were added to construct three double-height trading floors. Nine diesel generators were installed on the 5th floor as part of a backup power station. "Essentially, Salomon is constructing a building within a building – and it's an occupied building, which complicates the situation", said a district manager of Silverstein Properties. [20] According to Larry Silverstein, the unusual task was possible because it could allow "entire portions of floors to be removed without affecting the building's structural integrity, on the assumption that someone might need double-height floors." [20]

After the World Trade Center bombing of February 26, 1993, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani decided to situate the emergency command center and associated fuel tanks at 7 World Trade Center. Although this decision was criticized in light of the events of 9/11, the fuel in the building is not believed to have contributed to the collapse of the building. [21] [22] : 2 

Final tenants

The position of 7 WTC in relation to the other WTC buildings before September 11, 2001 WTC Building Arrangement and Site Plan (building 7 highlighted).jpg
The position of 7 WTC in relation to the other WTC buildings before September 11, 2001

At the time of the September 11 attacks, Salomon Smith Barney was by far the largest tenant in 7 World Trade Center, occupying 1,202,900 sq ft (111,750 m2) (64 percent of the building) which included floors 28–45. [1] : 2  [23] Other major tenants included ITT Hartford Insurance Group (122,590 sq ft/11,400 m2), American Express Bank International (106,117 sq ft/9,900 m2), Standard Chartered Bank (111,398 sq ft/10,350 m2), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (106,117 sq ft/9,850 m2). [23] Smaller tenants included the Internal Revenue Service Regional Council (90,430 sq ft/8,400 m2) and the United States Secret Service (85,343 sq ft/7,900 m2). [23] The smallest tenants included the New York City Office of Emergency Management, [24] National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, First State Management Group Inc., Provident Financial Management, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. [23] The Department of Defense (DOD) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) shared the 25th floor with the IRS. [1] : 2  (The clandestine CIA office was revealed only after the 9/11 attacks.) [25] Floors 46–47 were mechanical floors, as were the bottom six floors and part of the seventh floor. [1] : 2  [25]

According to CoStar Group, floors 9 and 10 of 7 WTC were occupied by the Secret Service. [26] The CIA had offices on the 25th floor of 7 WTC, as reported by the Associated Press. [27] The National Institute of Standards and Technology's 2008 Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 confirmed that floor 14 was vacant, and updated the news reports of CoStar and Associated Press from 2001 to show that Salomon Smith Barney leased floors 15 to 17. [28] : 9 

Fl#Companies
28-45 Salomon Smith Barney
26-27Salomon Smith Barney, Standard Chartered Bank
25 Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency
24Salomon Smith Barney
23Salomon Smith Barney, NYC Office of Emergency Management
22Salomon Smith Barney, Federal Home Loan Bank
21Salomon Smith Barney, First State Management Group, Hartford Financial Services Group
20Salomon Smith Barney, Hartford Financial Services Group
19Salomon Smith Barney, Hartford Financial Services Group, National Association of Insurance Commissioners Securities
18Salomon Smith Barney, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
15-17Salomon Smith Barney
14Vacant
13Salomon Smith Barney, Provident Bank, American Express, Securities & Exchange Commission, Standard Chartered Bank
11-12 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
10 U.S. Secret Service, Standard Chartered Bank
9 United States Secret Service
8American Express
7 American Express, Provident Bank, United States Secret Service
G, 1-6Salomon Smith Barney

The total amount of space occupied by each tenant was: [28] : 9  [26] [29]

TenantSquare Feet LeasedFloors OccupiedIndustry
Salomon Smith Barney 1,202,9000–6, 13, 15–24, 26-47Financial Institutions
Internal Revenue Service Regional Council 90,43024, 25Government
U.S. Secret Service 85,3439,10Government
American Express Bank International 106,1177, 8, 13Financial Institutions
Standard Chartered Bank 111,39810, 13, 26, 27Financial Institutions
Provident Financial Management 9,0007, 13Financial Institutions
ITT Hartford Insurance Group 122,59019–21Financial Institutions
First State Management Group4,00021Insurance
Federal Home Loan Bank 47,49022Financial Institutions
National Association of Insurance Commissioners Securities22,50019Insurance
Securities & Exchange Commission 106,11711, 12, 13Government
New York City Office of Emergency Management 45,81523Government


Collapse

Collapse of 7 World Trade Center
Part of September 11 attacks and Collapse of the World Trade Center
WTC-7 - Galarza 0368 RAW.jpg
The building on fire, prior to the collapse, as seen from Brookfield Place
Location7 World Trade Center
Date September 11, 2001
5:21 pm (Eastern Standard Time)
TargetCivilians
Attack type
 Building collapse
Deaths0
InjuredUnknown

As the North Tower (1 World Trade Center) collapsed on September 11, 2001, heavy debris hit 7 World Trade Center, damaging the south face of the building [30] : 18 (PDF p. 22)  and starting fires that continued to burn throughout the afternoon. [2] : 16, 18  The collapse also caused damage to the southwest corner between floors 7 and 17 and on the south face between floor 44 and the roof; other possible structural damage included a large vertical gash near the center of the south face between floors 24 and 41. [2] : 17  The building was equipped with a sprinkler system, but had many single-point vulnerabilities for failure: the sprinkler system required manual initiation of the electrical fire pumps instead of being a fully automatic system; the floor-level controls had a single connection to the sprinkler water riser, and the sprinkler system required some power for the fire pump to deliver water. [31] : 11  Additionally, water pressure was low, with little or no water to feed sprinklers. [32] : 23–30 

After the North Tower collapsed, some firefighters entered 7 World Trade Center to search the building. They attempted to extinguish small pockets of fire, but low water pressure hindered their efforts. [33] Over the course of the day, fires burned out of control on several floors of 7 World Trade Center, the flames visible on the east side of the building. [34] During the afternoon, the fire was also seen on floors 6–10, 13–14, 19–22, and 29–30. [30] : 24 (PDF p. 28)  In particular, the fires on floors 7 through 9 and 11 through 13 continued to burn out of control during the afternoon. [3] At approximately 2:00 pm, firefighters noticed a bulge in the southwest corner of 7 World Trade Center between the 10th and 13th floors, a sign that the building was unstable and might collapse. [35] During the afternoon, firefighters also heard creaking sounds coming from the building. [36] Around 3:30 pm, FDNY Chief of Operations Daniel A. Nigro decided to halt rescue operations, surface removal, and searches along the surface of the debris near 7 World Trade Center and evacuate the area due to concerns for the safety of personnel. [37]

The fire expanded the girders of the building, causing some to collapse. This led to the northeast corner core column (Column 79), which was especially large, to buckle below the 13th floor. This caused the floors above it to collapse to the transfer floor at the fifth level. The structure also developed cracks in the facade just before the entire building started to fall. [2] : 21  [38] According to FEMA, this collapse started at 5:20:33 pm EDT when the east mechanical penthouse started crumbling. [1] : 23  [39] Differing times are given as to what time the building completely collapsed: [39] at 5:21:10 pm EDT according to FEMA, [1] : 23  and at 5:20:52 pm EDT according to NIST. [2] : 19, 21, 50–51 

There were no casualties associated with the collapse. [38] NIST found no evidence to support conspiracy theories such as the collapse being the result of explosives; it found that a combination of factors including physical damage, fire, and the building's unusual construction set off a chain-reaction collapse. [40] [41]

Reports

Schematic view of collapse progression, with structural failure initiating on lower floors, on the east side of the building and vertical progression up to the east mechanical penthouse Wtc7 collapse progression.png
Schematic view of collapse progression, with structural failure initiating on lower floors, on the east side of the building and vertical progression up to the east mechanical penthouse

In May 2002, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a report on the collapse based on a preliminary investigation conducted jointly with the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers under the leadership of Dr. W. Gene Corley, P.E. FEMA made preliminary findings that the collapse was not primarily caused by actual impact damage from the collapse of 1 WTC and 2 WTC but by fires on multiple stories ignited by debris from the other two towers that continued burning unabated due to lack of water for sprinklers or manual firefighting. The report did not reach conclusions about the cause of the collapse and called for further investigation. [22] : 3 

Subsequently, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was authorized to lead an investigation into the structural failure and collapse of the World Trade Center Twin Towers and 7 World Trade Center. [3] The investigation, led by Dr S. Shyam Sunder, drew upon in-house technical expertise as well as the knowledge of several outside private institutions, including the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE); the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE); the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC); the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH); and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY). [42]

Few photos and video clips exist that show the damage sustained to the south face of 7 World Trade Center on 9/11. An ABC News helicopter captured footage of the south face of 7 World Trade Center, including a glimpse of a gash, extending approximately 10 stories. Abcnews-wtc7damage.jpg
Few photos and video clips exist that show the damage sustained to the south face of 7 World Trade Center on 9/11. An ABC News helicopter captured footage of the south face of 7 World Trade Center, including a glimpse of a gash, extending approximately 10 stories.

The bulk of the investigation of 7 World Trade Center was delayed until after reports were completed on the Twin Towers. [3] In the meantime, NIST provided a preliminary report about 7 WTC in June 2004, and thereafter released occasional updates on the investigation. [30] According to NIST, the investigation of 7 World Trade Center was delayed for a number of reasons, including that NIST staff who had been working on 7 World Trade Center were assigned full-time from June 2004 to September 2005 to work on the investigation of the collapse of the Twin Towers. [43] In June 2007, Shyam Sunder explained,

We are proceeding as quickly as possible while rigorously testing and evaluating a wide range of scenarios to reach the most definitive conclusion possible. The 7 WTC investigation is in some respects just as challenging, if not more so than the study of the towers. However, the current study does benefit greatly from the significant technological advances achieved and lessons learned from our work on the towers. [44]

BMCC's Fiterman Hall was heavily damaged from the collapse of 7 World Trade Center. Fiterman hall damage.jpg
BMCC's Fiterman Hall was heavily damaged from the collapse of 7 World Trade Center.

In November 2008, NIST released its final report on the causes of the collapse of 7 World Trade Center. [2] This followed NIST's August 21, 2008, draft report, which included a period for public comments, [3] and was followed in 2012 by a peer-reviewed summary in the Journal of Structural Engineering . [45] In its investigation, NIST utilized ANSYS to model events leading up to collapse initiation and LS-DYNA models to simulate the global response to the initiating events. [46] : 6–7  NIST determined that diesel fuel did not play an important role, nor did the structural damage from the collapse of the Twin Towers or the transfer elements (trusses, girders, and cantilever overhangs). The lack of water to fight the fire was an important factor. The fires burned out of control during the afternoon, causing floor beams near column 79 to expand and push a key girder off its seat, triggering the floors to fail around column 79 on floors 8 to 14. With a loss of lateral support across nine floors, column 79 buckled – pulling the east penthouse and nearby columns down with it. With the buckling of these critical columns, the collapse then progressed east-to-west across the core, ultimately overloading the perimeter support, which buckled between Floors 7 and 17, causing the remaining portion of the building above to fall down as a single unit. The fires, which were fueled by office contents and burned for 7 hours, along with the lack of water, were the key reasons for the collapse. [2] : 21–22  At the time, this made the old 7 WTC the only steel skyscraper to have collapsed from fire, but not the last, with others including Edifício Wilton Paes de Almeida, the Plasco Building, and Windsor Tower. [4]

Files relating to numerous federal investigations had been housed at 7 World Trade Center. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission estimated over 10,000 of its cases were affected. [47] Investigative files in the Secret Service's largest field office were lost, with one Secret Service agent saying, "All the evidence that we stored at 7 World Trade, in all our cases, went down with the building." [48] Copies of emails in connection with the WorldCom scandal that were later requested by the SEC from Salomon Brothers, a subsidiary of Citigroup housed in the building, were also destroyed. [49]

Aerial view of WTC remains and neighboring buildings on September 23, 2001, with the original footprints of the Twin Towers and 7 WTC outlined WTC Area With Building Numbers 50dpi contrast.jpg
Aerial view of WTC remains and neighboring buildings on September 23, 2001, with the original footprints of the Twin Towers and 7 WTC outlined

The NIST report found no evidence supporting the conspiracy theories that 7 World Trade Center was brought down by controlled demolition. Specifically, the window breakage pattern and blast sounds that would have resulted from the use of explosives were not observed. [2] : 26–28  The suggestion that an incendiary material such as thermite was used instead of explosives was considered unlikely by NIST because of the building's structural response to the fire, the nature of the fire, and the unlikelihood that a sufficient amount of thermite could be planted without discovery. [3] Based on its investigation, NIST reiterated several recommendations it had made in its earlier report on the collapse of the Twin Towers. [2] : 63–73  It urged immediate action on a further recommendation: that fire resistance should be evaluated under the assumption that sprinklers are unavailable; [2] : 65–66  and that the effects of thermal expansion on floor support systems be considered. [2] : 65, 69  Recognizing that current building codes are drawn to prevent loss of life rather than building collapse, the main point of NIST's recommendations was that buildings should not collapse from fire even if sprinklers are unavailable. [2] : 63–73 

Aftermath

The collapse of 7 WTC sent debris flying into the nearby Borough of Manhattan Community College's Fiterman Hall building, located at 30 West Broadway, damaging and contaminating it beyond repair. [50] A revised plan called for demolition in 2009 and completion of the new Fiterman Hall in 2012, at a cost of $325 million. [51] The collapse also damaged the eastern facade of the Barclay–Vesey Building, an Art Deco building to the west; it was restored at a cost of US$1.4 billion. [52] Construction on the new 7 World Trade Center began in 2002, [53] and the new structure opened in 2006. [54]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 World Trade Center (1971–2001)</span> Former skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The original One World Trade Center was one of the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center complex in New York City. It was completed in 1972, stood at a height of 1,368 feet (417 m), and was the tallest building in the world until 1973, when surpassed by the Willis Tower in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade Center site</span> Grounds of the World Trade Center in New York City

The World Trade Center site, often referred to as "Ground Zero" or "the Pile" immediately after the September 11 attacks, is a 14.6-acre (5.9 ha) area in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The site is bounded by Vesey Street to the north, the West Side Highway to the west, Liberty Street to the south, and Church Street to the east. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) owns the site's land. The original World Trade Center complex stood on the site until it was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7 World Trade Center</span> Office building in Manhattan, New York

7 World Trade Center is an office building constructed as part of the new World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The tower is located on a city block bounded by Greenwich, Vesey, Washington, and Barclay Streets on the east, south, west, and north, respectively. 7 World Trade Center was developed by Larry Silverstein, who holds a ground lease for the site from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collapse of the World Trade Center</span> Outcome of September 11 attacks

The World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City, was destroyed on September 11, 2001, as a result of al-Qaeda's terror attacks. Two commercial airliners hijacked by terrorists were deliberately flown into the Twin Towers of the complex, resulting in a total progressive collapse that killed almost 3,000 people. It was the deadliest and costliest building collapse in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marriott World Trade Center</span> Hotel in Manhattan, New York (1981–2001)

The New York Marriott World Trade Center was a 22-story 825-room hotel within the original World Trade Center complex in Manhattan, New York City. Situated on the original Three World Trade Center, It opened in April 1981 as the Vista International Hotel and was the first major hotel to open in Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street since 1836. In November 1995, it was bought by Marriott Corporation and renamed the Marriott World Trade Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One World Trade Center</span> Skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

One World Trade Center, also known as One WTC and Freedom Tower, is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the seventh-tallest in the world. The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site, on the site of the original 6 World Trade Center. It is bounded by West Street to the west, Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, and Washington Street to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade Center controlled demolition conspiracy theories</span> 9/11 conspiracy theories

Some conspiracy theories contend that the collapse of the World Trade Center was caused not solely by the airliner crash damage that occurred as part of the September 11 attacks and the resulting fire damage but also by explosives installed in the buildings in advance. Controlled demolition theories make up a major component of 9/11 conspiracy theories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Construction of the World Trade Center</span> Construction project in New York City (1968–1987)

The construction of the first World Trade Center complex in New York City was conceived as an urban renewal project to help revitalize Lower Manhattan spearheaded by David Rockefeller. The project was developed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The idea for the World Trade Center arose after World War II as a way to supplement existing avenues of international commerce in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5 World Trade Center</span> Proposed skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

5 World Trade Center is a planned skyscraper at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The site is across Liberty Street, to the south of the main 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site. In February 2021, it was announced the new 5 World Trade Center will be developed in a joint venture between Silverstein Properties and Brookfield Properties. The proposed building shares its name with the original 5 World Trade Center, which was heavily damaged as a result of the collapse of the North Tower during the September 11 attacks and was later demolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive collapse</span> Building collapse type

Progressive collapse is the process where a primary structural element fails, resulting in the failure of adjoining structural elements, which in turn causes further structural failure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 World Trade Center (1971–2001)</span> Former skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The original Two World Trade Center was one of the Twin Towers in the original World Trade Center Complex in New York City. The Tower was completed and opened in 1973 at a height of 1,362 feet (415 m) to the roof, distinguishable from its twin, the North Tower, by the absence of a television antenna. On the 107th floor of this building was a popular tourist attraction called "Top of the World Trade Center Observatories," and on the roof was an outdoor observation deck accessible to the public and a disused helipad at the center. The address of this building was 2 World Trade Center, with the WTC complex having its own ZIP code of 10048.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casualties of the September 11 attacks</span>

The September 11 attacks were the deadliest terrorist attacks in human history, causing the deaths of 2,996 people, including 2,977 victims and 19 hijackers who committed murder–suicide. Thousands more were injured, and long-term health effects have arisen as a consequence of the attacks. New York City took the brunt of the death toll when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan were attacked, with an estimated 1,600 victims from the North Tower and around a thousand from the South Tower. Two hundred miles southwest in Arlington County, Virginia, another 125 were killed in the Pentagon. The remaining 265 fatalities included the ninety-two passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 11, the sixty-five aboard United Airlines Flight 175, the sixty-four on American Airlines Flight 77 and the forty-four who boarded United Airlines Flight 93. The attack on the World Trade Center's North Tower alone made the September 11 attacks the deadliest act of terrorism in human history.

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) is a privately held ENR 500 engineering firm that designs, investigates, and rehabilitates structures and building enclosures. Their work encompasses commercial, institutional and residential buildings, transportation, water/wastewater, nuclear, science, and defense structure projects throughout the U.S. and over twenty foreign countries. SGH has 625 employees at eight offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City, Oakland, Southern California and Washington, D.C.

Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, Inc. (AE911Truth) is an American non-profit organization promoting the conspiracy theory that the World Trade Center was destroyed in a controlled demolition, disputing accepted conclusions around the September 11 attacks, including the 9/11 Commission Report, as well as FEMA's "WTC Building Performance Study" (2002). Their claims and theories lack support among the relevant professional communities.

Vincent Joseph Dunn is a retired firefighter who served the New York Fire Department for 42 years, rising in rank to Commander of Division 3. A longtime contributing editor to Firehouse Magazine, he is the author of nine books on firefighting and one memoir. He published two of his books before his 1999 retirement from New York City Fire Department: "Collapse of Burning Buildings: A Guide to Fireground Safety," 1988; and "Safety and Survival on the Fireground," 1992. His later books are "Command and Control of Fires and Emergencies," 2000; "Strategy of Firefighting," 2007; "Building Construction the Firefighters Battlespace," 2018; "Fire the Battlespace Enemy," 2020; Battlespace Combat," 2020; "Skyscraper Battlespace High-Rise Firefighting," published 2022, and “Battlespace Life-or-Death Decisions,” published 2023. All of Chief Dunn's books are available at vincentdunn.com.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 World Trade Center</span> Unfinished skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

2 World Trade Center is a skyscraper being developed as part of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Manhattan, New York City. It will replace the original 2 World Trade Center, which was completed as part of the first World Trade Center in 1973 and subsequently destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001, and it will occupy the position of the original 5 World Trade Center. The foundation work was completed in 2013, though no construction has taken place since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade Center (1973–2001)</span> Former development in Manhattan, New York

The original World Trade Center (WTC) was a complex of seven buildings in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Built primarily between 1966 and 1975, it was dedicated on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001. At the time of their completion, the 110-story-tall Twin Towers, including the original 1 World Trade Center at 1,368 feet (417 m), and 2 World Trade Center at 1,362 feet (415.1 m), were the tallest buildings in the world; they were also the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world until 1996, when the Petronas Towers opened. Other buildings in the complex included the Marriott World Trade Center, 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC. The complex contained 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m2) of office space and, prior to its completion, was projected to accommodate an estimated 130,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade Center (2001–present)</span> Skyscraper complex in Manhattan, New York

The new World Trade Center (WTC) is a complex of buildings in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood area of New York City, replacing the original seven buildings on the same site that were destroyed during the September 11 attacks of 2001, hence the name. The buildings are currently being rebuilt with up to six brand new skyscrapers, four of which have been finished; a memorial and museum to those killed of the attacks; the elevated Liberty Park adjacent to the site, containing the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and the Vehicular Security Center; the Perelman Performing Arts Center; and a transportation hub. The 104-story One World Trade Center, being the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, is the lead building for the new complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NIST World Trade Center Disaster Investigation</span> Post-disaster report

The NIST World Trade Center Disaster Investigation was a report that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted to establish the likely technical causes of the three building failures that occurred at the World Trade Center following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The report was mandated as part of the National Construction Safety Team Act, which was signed into law on October 1, 2002 by President George W. Bush. NIST issued its final report on the collapse of the World Trade Center's twin towers in September 2005, and the agency issued its final report on 7 World Trade Center in November 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5 World Trade Center (1970–2001)</span> Former building in Manhattan, New York

5 World Trade Center, also known as the Northeast Plaza Building, was a nine-story building in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Part of the World Trade Center complex, it opened in March 1972. The building was damaged during the September 11 attacks and later demolished. Its former site is now the location of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and the proposed 2 World Trade Center.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Gilsanz, Ramon; Edward M. DePaola; Christopher Marrion; Harold "Bud" Nelson (May 2002). "WTC7 (Chapter 5)" (PDF). World Trade Center Building Performance Study. FEMA. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 NIST NCSTAR1-A: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (Report). National Institute of Standards and Technology. November 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Questions and Answers about the NIST WTC 7 Investigation". NIST. National Institute of Standards and Technology. May 24, 2010. Archived from the original on August 27, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  4. 1 2 Rudin, Mike (July 4, 2008). "9/11 third tower mystery 'solved'". BBC News . Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Lew, H.S.; Bukowski, Richard W.; Nicholas J. Carino (September 2005). Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Structural and Life Safety Systems (NCSTAR 1-1). National Institute of Standards and Technology. p. 13.
  6. ↑ "Seven World Trade Center (pre-9/11)". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2006. Retrieved May 7, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. 1 2 McAllister, T. P.; Gann, R. G.; Averill, J. D.; Gross, J. L.; Grosshandler, W. L.; Lawson, J. R.; McGrattan, K. B.; Pitts, W. M.; Prasad, K. R.; Sadek, F. H.; Nelson, H. E. (August 2008). "NIST NCSTAR 1–9: Structural Fire Response and Probable Collapse Sequence of World Trade Center Building 7". Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster. National Institute of Standards and Technology. pp. 9–45. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  8. 1 2 Berger, Joseph (October 1, 1984). "Work Set on Last Trade Center Unit". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Salvarinas, John J. (1986). Seven World Trade Center, New York, Fabrication and Construction Aspects. Proceedings of the 1986 Canadian Structural Engineering Conference. Vancouver: Canadian Steel Construction Council.
  10. ↑ Lew, H.S. (September 2005). "NIST NCSTAR 1-1: Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Structural and Life Safety Systems" (PDF). Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster. National Institute of Standards and Technology. pp. xxxvii. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  11. ↑ Milke, James (Spring 2003). "Study of Building Performance in the WTC Disaster". Fire Protection Engineering. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  12. ↑ Grill, Raymond A.; Johnson, Duane A. (September 2005). "NIST NCSTAR 1-1J: Documentation of the Fuel System for Emergency Power in World Trade Center 7" (PDF). Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  13. ↑ Horsley, Carter B (October 25, 1981). "Lower Manhattan Luring Office Developers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  14. ↑ See:
    "Al Held". National Gallery of Australia. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
    Plagens, Peter (April 17, 1989). "Is Bigger Necessarily Better?". Newsweek.
  15. ↑ "History of the World Trade Center". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  16. ↑ Scardino, Albert (July 11, 1986). "A Realty Gambler's Big Coup". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  17. ↑ Scardino, Albert (December 3, 1986). "$3 Billion Office Pact Canceled by Drexel". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  18. ↑ Berg, Eric N (April 7, 1988). "Talking Deals; Developer Plays A Waiting Game". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  19. ↑ Berkowitz, Harry (November 29, 1988). "Salomon to Move Downtown". Newsday.
  20. 1 2 3 McCain, Mark (February 19, 1989). "The Salomon Solution; A Building Within a Building, at a Cost of $200 Million". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2007.
  21. ↑ See:
    Glanz, James; Lipton, Eric (December 20, 2001). "City Had Been Warned of Fuel Tank at 7 World Trade Center". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 28, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
    Barrett, Wayne (July 31, 2007). "Rudy Giuliani's 5 Big Lies About 9/11". Village Voice. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
    "Transcript: Rudy Giuliani on 'FNS'". Fox News. May 14, 2007. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2007. Then why did he say the building – he said it's not – the place in Brooklyn is not as visible a target as buildings in Lower Manhattan
    Buettner, Russ (May 22, 2007). "Onetime Giuliani Insider Is Now a Critic". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
    "Giuliani Blames Aide for Poor Emergency Planning". New York Magazine. May 15, 2007. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
  22. 1 2 National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee. "Meeting of the National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee, December 18, 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 12, 2017.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Building: 7 World Trade Center". CNN. 2001. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  24. ↑ Glanz, James; Eric Lipton (November 16, 2001). "Workers Shore Up Wall Keeping Hudson's Waters Out". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  25. 1 2 "CIA Lost Office In WTC: A secret office operated by the CIA was destroyed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, seriously disrupting intelligence operations'". CBSNews.com / AP. November 5, 2001. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  26. 1 2 "Building: 7 World Trade Center". CoStar Group . CNN. 2001. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Report: CIA Lost Office In WTC". CBS News . Associated Press. November 5, 2001. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  28. 1 2 NIST NCSTAR1-A: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (PDF) (Report). National Institute of Standards and Technology. November 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  29. ↑ Gilsanz, Ramon; et al. (September 2002). "Chapter 5: WTC Seven" (PDF). World Trade Center Building Performance Study (Report). Federal Emergency Management Agency. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  30. 1 2 3 "Interim Report on WTC 7" (PDF). Appendix L. National Institute of Standards and Technology. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  31. ↑ Grosshandler, William. "Active Fire Protection Systems Issues" (PDF). National Institute of Standards and Technology. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  32. ↑ Evans, David D (September 2005). "Active Fire Protection Systems" (PDF). NIST. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Oral Histories From Sept. 11 – Interview with Captain Anthony Varriale" (PDF). The New York Times. December 12, 2001. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  34. ↑ Spak, Steve (September 11, 2001). WTC 9-11-01 Day of Disaster (Video). New York City: Steve Spak. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
    Scheuerman, Arthur (December 8, 2006). The Collapse of Building 7 (PDF) (Report). National Institute of Standards and Technology. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 3, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  35. ↑ "WTC: This Is Their Story, Interview with Chief Peter Hayden". Firehouse.com. September 9, 2002. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  36. ↑ "WTC: This Is Their Story, Interview with Captain Chris Boyle". Firehouse.com. August 2002. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Oral Histories From Sept. 11 – Interview with Chief Daniel Nigro". The New York Times. October 24, 2001. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 4, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
  38. 1 2 Lipton, Eric (August 21, 2008). "Fire, Not Explosives, Felled 3rd Tower on 9/11, Report Says". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  39. 1 2 CBS News (September 11, 2001). CBS Sept. 11, 2001 4:51 pm – 5:33 pm (September 11, 2001) (Television). WUSA, CBS 9, Washington, D.C. – View footage on YouTube of the collapse captured by CBS.
  40. ↑ "Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report – The World Trade Center". Popular Mechanics. April 7, 2010. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  41. ↑ Sardarizadeh, Shayan (September 10, 2021). "11 September 2001: The conspiracy theories still spreading after 20 years". BBC News. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  42. ↑ See:
    "World Trade Center Investigation Team Members". NIST. National Institute of Standards and Technology. July 27, 2011. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
    "Commerce's NIST Details Federal Investigation of World Trade Center Collapse". NIST. National Institute of Standards and Technology. August 2002. Archived from the original on November 27, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  43. ↑ "Answers to Frequently Asked Questions". National Institute of Standards and Technology. August 2006. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  44. ↑ Newman, Michael (June 29, 2007). "NIST Status Update on World Trade Center 7 Investigation" (Press release). National Institute of Standards and Technology. Archived from the original on August 29, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  45. ↑ McAllister, Therese; et al. (January 2012). "Analysis of Structural Response of WTC 7 to Fire and Sequential Failures Leading to Collapse". Journal of Structural Engineering. 138 (1): 109–117. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000398.
  46. ↑ McAllister, Therese (December 12, 2006). "WTC 7 Technical Approach and Status Summary" (PDF). National Institute of Standards and Technology. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  47. ↑ "Federal Agencies: Re-Creating Lost Files". New York Lawyer. September 14, 2001. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  48. ↑ "Ground Zero for the Secret Service". July 23, 2002. Archived from the original on July 1, 2006. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  49. ↑ "Citigroup Facing Subpoena in IPO Probe". The Street. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  50. ↑ "Fiterman Hall – Project Updates". Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center/LMDC. Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  51. ↑ See:
    "Fiterman is Funded". BMCC News. November 17, 2008. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008.
    Agovino T (November 13, 2008). "Ground Zero building to be razed". Crain's New York Business. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  52. ↑ "Verizon Building Restoration". New York Construction (McGraw Hill). Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
  53. ↑ Bagli, Charles V. (May 8, 2002). "As a Hurdle Is Cleared, Building Begins At Ground Zero". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 28, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  54. ↑ WESTFELDT, AMY (May 23, 2006). "First Rebuilt Skyscraper at WTC Opens". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.