Beijing's highest tower can withstand 9/11-style attack

[Brotherhood]

Beijing's highest tower can withstand 9/11-style attack - People's Daily OnlineOctober 19, 2010

The China World Trade Center Tower 3 joins Tower 1 and Tower 2 to become the largest trade center world.

Beijing's highest building, the 330-high China World Trade Center Tower 3, officially debuted recently. It joins China World Trade Center Tower 1 and Tower 2 to become world's largest world trade center, covering an area of 11 million square meters.

SOM is proud to be able to push Beijing's skyline to a new height, said Brian Lee, the project architect and design partner of China World Trade Center Tower 3, with SOM, one of the world's leading architecture and urban design firms.

People are skeptical about the super-tall building after the Sept. 11 attacks in U.S. The main beams of the China World Trade Tower 3 use stiffness and column reinforcement so that even if the tower encounters the impact of aircrafts, it will not collapse.

Furthermore, bullet-proof glass is installed in the main ballrooms where senior officials will be received. And there are five refuge floors that can withstand a fire lasting for three hours.

In terms of energy conservation, the efficiency of China World Trade Tower 3 exceeds China's standards of other energy-saving buildings and is capable to be awarded LEED gold certificate, according to Lee.

The tower also features the shade of a dorsal fin on the high-performance external walls. Even under extreme temperature, the wall is capable of keeping the building warm and providing heat insulation. It also plays an effective role in providing shade for the interior.

Besides the exterior wall, the garden on the roof can also reduce the "heat island" effect, Lee said. There is also an ice storage system, which can reduce 40 percent of power consumption in peak period and an air-conditioner system that purifies air with ultraviolet radiation.

Public facilities, such as restaurants, rest areas and multi-purpose halls are located in the top of the building, and the entrance of the building yard and water garden are both connected with the region's streets and sidewalks.

Besides luxury, the building can prevent collapse if a plane were to crash into it.

The beautiful World Trade Center in Beijing.

 

[ThatDamnGood]

Some Americans say they it was "demolished". So I don't think its anything special in that regard. Most buildings can structurally tank a flying 747.

Chinese news lose to Russia ones. RussiaToday TV would have immediately brought up the various issues relating to there being no debris at the Pentagon, the evidence for the Twin Towers being demolished, etc.

 

[Avatar]

Some Americans say they it was "demolished". So I don't think its anything special in that regard. Most buildings can structurally tank a flying 747.

Some Americans also say America is hiding UFO's in Area 51.

 

[nomi007]

looks cool

 

[siegecrossbow]

Making such a statement may not be wise since all the terrorists are going to take that as a challenge.

 

[Nomenclature]

Making such a statement may not be wise since all the terrorists are going to take that as a challenge.

Maybe that's precisely the point. So terrorists will crash into an office building instead of Zhongnanhai.

 

[ThatDamnGood]

You think it will be like 9/11, where commercial aircrafts get to fly outside of flight path without being intercepted an interceptor. Plus there should be at least one unit of S300 or HQ9 at Beijing.

 

[no_name]

Beijing I think is pretty well covered by SAM network.

 

[StingRoy]

I don't think China need to fear a 9/11 style attack since it is a good ally with the Muslim nations and hence its people. But the Chinese technique can be leveraged in other new buildings in the western world and will most likely become a standard for the new buildings to come.

 

[no_name]

9/11 type attack don't have to come from muslim people/country only. (and its questionable whether these are 'real' muslims).

But I think the 911 comment was just for publicity, and it doesn't hurt to let the public know about some of the buildings' superior features and improvements.

 

[CardSharp]

@no_name is that from the bluffer's guide?

I don't think China need to fear a 9/11 style attack since it is a good ally with the Muslim nations and hence its people. But the Chinese technique can be leveraged in other new buildings in the western world and will most likely become a standard for the new buildings to come.

I doubt any 9/11 style attack will be possible anymore. The pilots and passengers will fight a lot harder now that the 9/11 precedent has been set.

 

[ThatDamnGood]

But the Chinese technique can be leveraged in other new buildings in the western world and will most likely become a standard for the new buildings to come.

MOST modern buildings are designed to survive an impact with a jet liner, INCLUDING the WTC.

 

[CardSharp]

MOST modern buildings are designed to survive an impact with a jet liner, INCLUDING the WTC.

Obviously not.

 

[no_name]

Well technically it did survived the impact, jut not the subsequent fire.

The Empire state building survived a B-25 accident collision in 1945, but that is a much smaller plane.

edit: I think it also raises the question of how to fight fires effectively in skyscrapers out of reach of firetrucks.

 

[StingRoy]

MOST modern buildings are designed to survive an impact with a jet liner, INCLUDING the WTC.

Yes I am aware of that... but I thought the design of this new tower will be able to withstand structural collapse in case of a major fire burning at temperatures which are consistent with burning jet fuel. Unless that structural guarantee is there for the whole building, any building can be susceptible for a 9/11 type collapse.