in this morning's local paper they had about
three bullet points from NIST's WTC findings
on page A3 (i think) and it was surprising to
see. i don't have the paper anymore now though
it mentioned that the codes were not followed
for staircases in particular, and that building
codes for the WTC would not have met any codes
in .US cities (i think that's what it stated).
then, the cause being some 9 columns in one
building, and 11 in another, of some odd 50+
structural columns were taken out, dislodging
fireproofing, and thus inferno and the stair-
cases were unable to meet the capacity of the
building, to get people on the upper floors,
down. so they were trapped, with stair walls
of gypsum not fireproofed enough that it was
possibly two times as long to get down stairs
as code would have it. i've forgotten details
though comparing it to the unending television
commercial that is WTC redevelopment propaganda
Libeskind is giving a 'free' talk here at the
U of MN to do public relations apparently to
remind everyone how great all of it really is.
i believe the WTC project is going to be cursed
from this ineptitude, inaction, and deceptions.
about AIA Continuing Education, i wondered if
it somehow joins/joints with the Accreditation
system, as a self-fulfilling ploy of keeping
things as they are, no questions asked, no
checks/balances given to outside accountants.
brian