University of Alaska Building 7 Report

were not sufficient to displace girder A2001 to the point that it walked off its seat (the initiating failure alleged by NIST). Whereas NIST asserted that the differential westward displacement of girder A2001 relative to Column 79 was 5.5 inches and later revised its calculation to 6.25 inches, we found that the westward displacement of girder A2001 relative to Column 79 would have been less than 1 inch under the fire conditions reported by NIST. Approach 2 Findings Under our second approach, we used a solid element model to evaluate the validity of NIST’s collapse initiation hypothesis, introducing a number of assumptions made by NIST that we considered to be invalid or, at best, questionable (Section 3.1). These assumptions included assuming the east exterior wall to be rigid and thermally fixed, assuming shear studs on several beams were broken due to differential thermal movement, assuming no shear studs were installed on girder A2001, and assuming that the bolts fastening girder A2001 to its seats at Columns 44 and 79 were broken (Section 3.1.1). Allowing for these overly generous assumptions, we found the following: •

When girder A2001 is heated to the temperatures assumed by NIST, it expands such that it becomes trapped behind the side plate on the western side of Column 79 as it is pushed to the west by thermally expanding floor beams. This prevents the girder’s web from traveling beyond the bearing seat, thus preventing the girder from walking off its seat (Section 3.2.1).

•

NIST, by its own admission, did not include the partial height web stiffeners known to be on girder A2001. In addition to stiffening the web, these stiffeners significantly increase the bending resistance of the flange. In a subsequent analysis where we removed the side plate described in the previous paragraph in order to allow for further westward travel of girder A2001, we found that the stresses in the girder flange and stiffener would not be sufficient to cause the flange to fail, thus preventing the girder from walking off its seat (Section 3.2.2).

•

In a preliminary collapse initiation hypothesis, NIST posited that beam G3005 buckled because its thermal expansion was restrained by girder A2001. We found that this can 4

University of Alaska Building 7 Report

Articles inside

REFERENCES

Figure 4.20 Velocity comparison between Chandler measurement (green plotted line) and UAF simulation (red plotted line). Bold green trend line illustrates free fall

Figure 4.17 (a) Comparison of simulated collapse to perspective 1; (b) comparison of simulated collapse to perspective 2

2.7 Summary and Conclusion

3.2.2 Girder A2001 Web Stiffeners Prevent Flange Failure and Girder Walk-off

Table 2.3 Comparison of UAF and NIST Modeling

4.6 Results of Core Column/Exterior Column Failure Analysis

2.6.2 ABAQUS Analysis

3.2.3 Lateral Support Beams Prevent Beam Buckling

2.6.1 SAP2000 Thermal Deformation Analysis

Figure 2.36 Modeling process for a beam to girder shear connector, “STC.”

Table 2.1 Column loading for the Floor 12 and 13 assembly

Figure 2.21 SAP2000 model of entire WTC 7 without roof

Figure 2.24 Column number layout of Floor 13 (NIST, 2008, NCSTAR 1A

Figure 2.26 Small section of typical floor slab of WTC 7 with finer meshing

Figure 2.29 Plan View: Model of floor slabs in strong direction (parallel to flutes

Figure 2.46 Seated moment connection of exterior girders to exterior columns ABAQUS model

2.2 Solid Works Modeling

2.1.3 Background Studies

1.5.3 Approach 3: Simulating the Collapse of WTC 7

Figure 2.5 Area of floor where connection failure was modeled by NIST

1.5.2 Approach 2: Evaluation of NIST’s Collapse Initiation Hypothesis

Figure 2.6 Progressive collapse separated into two parts

Figure 2.3 Approach used to model buckled beams in LS-DYNA model (NIST, 2008, NCSTAR 1-9, Vol. 2

1.4.3 Arup and Nordenson, April 2010

Figure E.3 Finite Element Model of WTC7 in SAP2000, as viewed from the south

Figure 1.6 WTC 7 was in free fall for approximately 2.25 seconds over a distance of approximately 8 stories or 32.0 meters (NIST, 2008, NCSTAR 1A

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.2 Hypothetical Failure Mechanisms for West Penthouse and North Face Roofline

Figure 1.4 WTC 7 tenants on September 11, 2001 (FEMA, 2002

Figure 1.9 WTC 7 steel frame building geometry prior to its collapse (FEMA, 2002

Figure 1.5 The collapse of WTC 7 at 5:20 PM (source unknown

1.4.2 National Institute of Standards and Technology, November 2008