New York, NY
7 World Trade Center
Scope/Solutions
Falling debris from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers (WTC 1 and 2) damaged the building at 7 World Trade Center (WTC 7) and ignited fires. After several hours of fire exposure, WTC 7 also collapsed. SGH analyzed the fire environment in WTC 7 and the building’s thermal and structural response.
The primary objective of our computer modeling was to determine the steel temperature distribution and structural response of WTC 7’s northeastern section due to the fires that burned within the building.
Highlights of our computer modeling include the following:
- Modeled WTC 7’s northeast structural system, representing Floors 8 to 45
- Developed fire dynamics models to determine the heating environments, thermal models to determine the heat transfer to the structure, and structural models to determine the structural response
- Accounted for temperature-dependent properties of the structural members and connections, including thermal expansion, stiffness and strength degradation, and the failure modes of various connections
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Project Summary
2008
Completion Date
Solutions
Failure Investigation
Services
Structures | Advanced Analysis | Performance & Code Consulting
Markets
Commercial
Client(s)
Clifford Law Offices
Specialized Capabilities
Computational Mechanics | Fire Life Safety & Accessibility
Additional Projects
Northeast
Odd Fellows Hall
In 1997, when a major fire engulfed the building, the building housed office and retail space. The day after the fire, the owner’s insurance company retained SGH to assess the safety of the building and advise the town on securing the site.
Northeast
275 Wyman Street
SGH was the structural engineer for the five-story office building, plaza structure, and parking garage, and also consulted on the building enclosure and plaza waterproofing.