Sextagon

Monday, 1 October 2001
Why did the WTC towers collapse?
Tower with plain floors It was not the impact of a incoming aircraft. No, it was the heat of the fire that followed (civil/usyd.edu.au/wtc.html#why). The steel construction could not cope with the heat of the fire.

Even steel melts. The floors above came down as a result of their own weight. The floors below could not handle the kinetics and joined in the big collapse. The bigger the weight, the harder it was for the floors below.

Towers with tilted floors What to do about it?

Tilted floors would help. The damaged floors would slide away from the base. The floors below remain intact.

Interesting, but the rubble falls down and will cause damage.

Tower with tilted floor into a point Actually, the rubble should slide inwards. But there is no space inside the building to store all the rubble.
Towers with walls like a box, and tilted floors Sextagon, with tilted floors Buildings should be like a box, with a bottom and sides. The rubble will fall inwards. The floors below and other walls will remain intact.

Four walls are boring. Five are confusing. Six is a nice number, offers nice edges and plenty of space inside.

What will arise in the skyline of New York (newsvote.bbc.co.uk/...)? A Sextagon with tilted floors?

Till next week,
Nut
Born 1 October 2001: Lars van der Ent. Congratulations to my cousin Ingrid!