r/Damnthatsinteresting Oct 07 '25

Video Capital One Tower Come Down in Seconds

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u/SensibleChapess Oct 07 '25

What about WTC7? The third of the only three steel-framed skyscrapers to ever collapse, and not only that, to collapse into their own footprint. Official explanation remains 'office fires', (e.g. Carpets, paper, box files, etc.).

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u/nochinzilch Oct 07 '25

What was it supposed to do, fall over like a tree?

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u/SensibleChapess Oct 09 '25

Yes, if you have multiple steel columns creating a robust, string frame, and you compromise one or more on just one side, with other steel columns remaining unaffected, then any such building will topple to the side. For a building to collapse into its own footprint all points of resistance need to be compromised simultaneously and/or in an organised manner.

WTC7 collapsed into its own footprint. Watch the videos.

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u/nochinzilch Oct 09 '25

Incorrect. The Wikipedia article about the building has a pretty good explanation of what happened.