[BC] RFI stalls cars near Empire State Building

[Bob Tarsio]

That is not exactly true. If the Twin Towers had the same type of
construction that Empire has the outcome would have been the same it would
have simply taken longer. Perhaps more lives would have been saved by the
time factor but the building would have likely collapsed for the same
reason. I sat in a meeting at Empire two days after 9/11 and put the
question as to what would have happened if they had hit Empire to the then
structural consultant to ESB and that is what he said to me. Empire is a
rigid skeletal steel structure with cement encasing the steel as
fireproofing. The integrity of the cement would have been compromised by the
heat and the effect on the steel would have likely been the same. Also
remember that the weight of the construction materials used at Empire was
much greater putting much more stress on the steel. Once the first floor of
the Trade Center collapsed it was all over as the weight of all the floors
above began to accelerate and cause stress on the floor below it. P = MV and
all that stuff.

The comparison of the airplane that hit the Empire State Building to Trade
is apples and oranges anyway. It was a WW2 vintage B-17 or B-24 I forget
which that hit Empire in July 1945. First of all a much smaller plane and
the fuel type was different. Aviation gasoline was used in those old
aircraft which is more volatile than aviation kerosene but there was a lot
less of it to burn in the much smaller B series aircraft. The building was
open the very next day and most of the 79th floor was still intact. The
scars of that accident are still plainly evident if you get off on the 79th
floor which is today mostly occupied by broadcasters. The elevators shafts
that were hit still show the patch work that was done over the elevator
doors.

Bob Tarsio


-----Original Message-----
From: Tom
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 10:18
Subject: Re: [BC] RFI stalls cars near Empire State Building

Besides which, Empire's already BEEN hit by a plane.... I forget the
date, but it was brought up right after 9/11 that if the Twin Towers had
been built like Empire, they probably would NOT have collapsed.

Tom S.