A two-year Purdue University study has created a 3D simulation of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, supporting the U.S. government's findings into why the towers fell, reports THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. According to the study, the planes "stripped away crucial fireproofing material," which led to the towers crumbling due to its own weight. The study was funded partly by the National Science Foundation.
Christoph Hoffmann, a computer science professor at Purdue as well as one of the lead researchers on the study, said this project is the first to use animation to reconstruct the events at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Professor of structural engineering, Mete Sozen, was the lead researcher on the project and hoped the study will lead to "better structural design and building codes."
The 3D animation starts with a map of lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. It depicts a plane crashing through several stories of the north tower as it breaks apart and explodes out the other side of the building. Additionally, the sim found the jet's metal skin was stripped off right after the collision and the titanium engine shafts shot out like bullets.
Previously, the researchers examined the damage done to the Pentagon on 9/11.
You can view clips of the simulation in the AP report at video.ap.org/v/default.aspx?g=6d3ec039-f927-4071-af44-4865fed53970&f=ohcol&fg.
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