Energy Estimates of Progressive Floor Collapses and the World Trade\n Center Catastrophe

2017/12/17 by Ansgar Schneider, Schneider, Ansgar
Decision Sciences · Engineering · Environmental Science · #Classical Physics (physics.class-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Probabilistic and Robust Engineering Design #Structural Response to Dynamic Loads #Wind and Air Flow Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1712.06183

openalex publication_date 2017/12/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The Simple Collapse Model of Ba vzant and Zhou is evaluated for a\nprogressive floor collapse of a tall building. A sequence of energy estimates\nindexed by the collapsing floors is derived. Each of the estimates gives a\nsufficient condition to arrest the collapse at a given floor. The first\nestimate of this sequence has been stated by Ba vzant and Zhou and has been\nrepeatedly cited later on. However, this estimate is not optimal in the sense\nthat the following estimates give a weaker condition to arrest the collapse.\n

Citations

• The Late Jolt -- Re-Examining the World Trade Center Catastrophe

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