What Demolition Experts Say About 9/11
Is there evidence that explosives caused the collapse of the world trade center buildings as many conspiracy theorists claim?
Brent Blanchard is Director of Field Operations for Protec Documentation Services, a company that documents the work of building demolition contractors. This article is a summary of his response to those who feel that the WTC buildings “collapsed as if by a controlled demolition.” His entire argument may be found on the website he edits: implosionworld.com (archive).
Blanchard and his experts at Protec are uniquely positioned to address concerns that explosives may have been used to bring down the World Trade Center buildings. They have worked with all major American demolition companies and many foreign ones to study the controlled demolition of over 1000 of some of the largest and tallest buildings around the world. Their duties include engineering studies, structural analysis, vibration/air overpressure monitoring and photographic services.
On 9/11 Protec had portable field seismic monitoring systems operating at other sites in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Demolition specialists were hired to clean up Ground Zero and remove the remaining damaged structures, and these experts called on Blanchard’s company to document both the deconstruction and the debris removal. In addition to the thousands of photos and the videos the Protec teams shot themselves, and their personal examination of the debris, they also had access to the photos taken by the foremen and laborers working at the site. The company has much of the unedited television footage from many networks of the collapse of the buildings archived, and they documented the public discussion of the cleanup by demolition teams attending the national Demolition Association Convention in Orlando, FL, in April of 2003.
All of this information, along with their experience, has produced the following responses (only summarized here) to some of the questions raised by 9/11 conspiracy theorists:
#1: The collapse of the towers looked exactly like controlled demolitions.
Protec: No they did not. The key to any demolition investigation is in finding out the “where”—the actual point at which the building failed. All photographic evidence shows WTC1 and 2 failed at the point of impact. Actual implosion demolitions always start with the bottom floors. Photo evidence shows the lower floors of WTC 1 and 2 were intact until destroyed from above.
#2: But they fell right down into their own footprint.
Protec: They did not. They followed the path of least resistance and there was a lot of resistance. Buildings of 20 stories or more do not topple over like trees, or fall like reinforced towers or smokestacks do. Imploding demolitions fall into a footprint because lower stories are removed first. WTC debris was forced out away from the building as the falling mass encountered intact floors.
#3: Explosive charges are seen shooting from several floors just prior to collapse.
Protec: No, air and debris can be seen being violently ejected from the building—a natural and predictable effect of rapid structure collapse.
#4: Witnesses heard explosions.
Protec: All Seismic evidence from many independent sources on 9/11 showed none of the sudden vibration spikes that result from explosive detonations.
#5: A heat-generating explosive (thermite?) melted steel at Ground Zero.
Protec: To a man, demolition workers do not report encountering molten steel, cut beams or any evidence of explosions. Claims of detected traces of thermite are at this time inconclusive.
#6: Ground Zero debris—particularly the large steel columns from towers 1 and 2—were quickly shipped overseas to prevent scrutiny.
Protec: Not according to those who handled the steel. The chain of custody is clearly documented, first at Ground Zero by Protec and later at the Fresh Kills site by Yannuzzi Demolition. The time frame (months) before it was shipped to China was normal.
#7: WTC7 was intentionally “pulled down” with explosives. The building owner himself was quoted as saying he decided to “pull it.”
Protec: Building owners do not have authority over emergency personnel at a disaster scene. We have never heard “pull it” used to refer to an explosive demolition. Because of the extensive fires, demolition explosive experts anticipated the collapse of WTC7. They also personally witnessed it from a few hundred feet away and no one heard detonations.
#8: Steel-frame buildings do not collapse due to fire.
Protec: Many steel-framed buildings have collapsed due to fire.
#9: Anyone who denies that explosives were used is ignoring evidence.
Protec: Most of our comments apply to the differences between what people actually saw on 9/11 and what they should have seen had explosives been present.
The hundreds of men and women who worked to remove debris from Ground Zero were some of the countries most experienced and respected demolition veterans. They of all people possessed the experience and expertise to recognize evidence of controlled demolition if it existed. None of these people have come forward with suspicions that explosives were used. And in five years of independent web and media investigation no actual explosives evidence has surfaced.
If anyone knows of specific physical evidence relating to explosives being used in any manner on the Ground Zero site please bring it to our attention.