WTC 9/11 twin towers research studies open panel discussion synopsis

Abstract

ABSTRACTLead researchers of the three major research studies into the evacuation of and occupant evacuation behaviours in the WTC 9/11 Twin Towers in 2001 presented the results of their extensive investigations at the 4th International Symposium on Human Behaviour in Fire in Cambridge, UK, in 2009. Delegates attending the 4th Symposium were afforded, in a full programme session, the opportunity to discuss the results of these three major studies and to raise issues they considered pertinent. The open panel and delegate discussions were, with the knowledge of the participants, audio recorded in order to capture their flavour and essential content. The audio tapes were listened to by the author several times in order to distill what is considered their most useful content. This paper is not a verbatim account of the open ended panel/delegate discussions. It is merely the authors attempt to capture, archive and present as comprehensively as possible the views expressed and issues raised. Readers may wish to ponder if the issues raised have been or are they being addressed at all. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.