TABLE OF CONTENTS Richard L. Tomasetti, PE
Co-Chairman, The Thornton-Tomasetti Group
New York, New York
John Abruzzo, PE
Vice President, LZA Technology
The Thornton-Tomasetti Group
New York, New York
Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.
H.G. WELLS (1866-1946)
English author and historian,
Outline of History
History is rife with violent incidents directed toward people, buildings, and property. The events of September 11, 2001, and others during the late twentieth century directed toward Americans at home and abroad underscored the need for the design and construction community to reach even higher in the quest for advanced engineering techniques to save lives during a terrorist attack or disaster.
From benchmark events such as the 1983 attack on the American embassy in Beirut, the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, to subsequent attacks on public and private American facilities, embassies and installations overseas, building performance and the ability of a structure to withstand blast have become two of the more important issues that engineers, architects, and building owners must address.
Engineering research after each terrorist event resulted in technological advances and evolving best practices designed to save lives, allow swift and complete building evacuation, and increase life safety. The events in Oklahoma City prompted an industry-wide examination of progressive collapse, reduction of...
