Freeway Collapses From Fire, but WTC skeptics say it couldn't happen..

I expect this one to go over like a lead balloon, but I couldn't help but wonder if any of the WTC conspiracy guys are going to acknowledge that fire can cause structures to collapse.

One of the main arguments given by WTC conspiracy folks is that the jet fuel only burns at too low a temperature to possibly have caused the collapse of the two towers on 9/11.  

But if that is so, then what caused the collapse of the freeway today... Oil Tanker Fire Causes Collapse of Freeway?  The tanker was carrying gasoline, which isn't as volatile as jet fuel.*  If the freeway could collapse, why couldn't the two towers?  Will the skeptics allow now that maybe the WTC collapse was maybe caused by the heat?  At least in part?

As a mechanical design engineer who has worked with high temperatures in designs, I watched the towers that morning and predicted that the upper portions were in danger of falling.  But I thought the upper portions would fall down and stop there, or topple over the edge and fall on the street below.

Later, when I found out that the structural design was completely different from standard "steel skeleton" type structures, I could see how the falling of the upper portions could precipitate the complete collapse.  But that is off-topic here.  The main point is that heat can - and does - cause the collapse of structures.

It is early yet, and it may turn out that the impact of the tanker destroyed some of the structural integrity of the freeway support columns.  If so, then it fairly closely parallels 9/11, since the impact of the planes certainly weakened the buildings' structural integrity.

The heat, combined with the weakening of the structural integrity is what I saw as reasons to think the buildings were in trouble on 9/11.  My first impressions of this freeway collapse are that both factors were involved there also.

I am open to discussion on this.  If there are things I don't know about, feel free to offer them.  I will do my best to respond.

. . . . TD

• Thanks to fly for pointing out that jet fuel is actually less volatile than gasoline, being basically kerosene.  I'd known that it was kerosene, but not that it was less volatile.  . . . . TD  9:12 pm 04/29/07