9/11 Research Paper

Words: 1246
Pages: 5

Early in the day of September 11, 2001, a group of men associated with al Qaeda, a terrorist group, took over 4 American airplanes. At 8:46 AM, one of the planes collided with the side of the North Tower, part of the original World Trade Center in New York City. Another hijacked plane flew into the upper floors of the South Tower minutes later. The structural columns lost stability due to damage from the crashes, and the fires reduced the stability of the buildings’ steel trusses. These structures eventually gave away, and the South Tower crumbled to the ground before the hour was over. The North Tower fell apart later that morning. The terrorist attack led to the deaths of thousands and left large heaps of debris and rubble ("FAQ about 9/11" n.d.). Less than a year later, the site was being cleaned up and plans for a new World Trade Center were being made. The complex would include a redesigned One World Trade Center. Many ambitious goals were set for the building; one objective was to design the new skyscraper to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Gold LEED standards - the second highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification (Gregor n.d.). The designers and developers carefully applied methods to lessen the severity of the …show more content…
The building is cooled by rainwater, which is collected in two large storage tanks on the 57th floor. The tanks hold up to 50,000 gallons of water combined (Felsenstein 2013). The water also is used to water the plants surrounding the building. The water collection reduces the amount of freshwater used to 30% less than many water-conservative buildings in the city (Sullivan 2012). Even the shape of the toilets was taken into consideration to make each flush more water efficient. Devices were also implemented in the bathroom to regulate the amount of water used for handwashing (Schelmetic 2012). The reduced water usage puts less pressure on the