I doubt the Empire State Building would have collapsed if a jet liner crashed into it. If the twin towers were built like clipper ships, the Empire State building was built like a battle ship.
Harry Jed Rothwell wrote: > Stephen A. Lawrence wrote: > >> We certainly have! The chief designer gave a presentation on it >> shortly after the collapse. IIRC, he explained exactly what had >> happened, how it came down, how the floors pancaked . . . >> >> As I recall, he was said to have finished by sobbing, "I wish they'd >> stayed up a little longer!" > > I think I remember seeing something like that on the Discovery > Channel. Several experts were interviewed. The guy I recall, who said > he tried to contact the authorities in New York, was a leading > British structural engineer. In other words, many different experts > independently predicted the collapse before it occurred, and many > others examined the steel and other components from the building to > confirm the sequence of events. There were no surprises and no major > unanswered questions. There is no need -- or room -- for the kinds of > doubts and conspiracy theories and urban myths that Jones is > peddling. To paraphrase G. K. Chesterton, Jones shows that when a man > stops believing in experiments, he will believe in anything. > > Several of the experts interviewed said they were amazed the > buildings stayed up as long as they did, and it was a credit to the > designers. They said they did not think any other building then > standing would have held up better. In light of these events, some > skyscrapers built after 9/11 have been reinforced more, and they > might survive better. > > The buildings were designed to withstand an accidental impact from > the largest airplanes in service when they were built. Unfortunately, > airplanes are now bigger, and they carry more fuel. > > - Jed > >
