Posted by JWmHarmon on January 05, 2002 at 08:18:11:In Reply to: Ironic? Inspired. Irrefutable? posted by Paul Malo on January 05, 2002 at 07:02:42:
The only problem I see with this theory is that perhaps the collapse didn't start with the roof.
I have this vivid image rolling around in my head of the start of the collapse of the first tower. I distinctly recall seeing the top several floors starting to lean as an intact unit above the point of impact. I remember thinking that the top was going to fall over like a tree being felled. I was appalled that the people trapped were going to be killed. I remember thinking that additional people would be killed on the ground when I imagined the top falling 90 stories. I did not expect the rest of the building to pancake as it did.
As I recall it the top portion was intact for a few seconds before the pancaking began. Would this change this theory in any way?
The site linked here also suggests that the steel joists would have melted leaving no tensile strength on the fire floors. This would lead to collapse of the concrete floor making the mass of the top third a giant concrete crusher and pulveriser.
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