Re: 'Is Trump connected to the twin towers?' [Village News Letter, 11/21/19]

Shortly after university, I was fortunate to join the staff of the renowned architectural firm of Minoru Yamasaki and Associates. I was a lowly draftsman, but was able to observe the design development studies of the World Trade Center as it evolved under the leadership of Mr. Yamasaki (Yama).

This was in the early sixties – long before electronic communication that we enjoy today. An office person would take the day’s drawing effort; rolled-up design development prints to the airport for delivery the next morning to Emory Roth Associates in New York tasked with producing the construction documents and John Skilling, SE in Seattle, the structural engineer.

As Mr. Stitle points out, the framing system consisted of a rated core unit with structural steel supported floor plate spanning out to the load bearing members joining an Alcoa Aluminum curtain wall system. The steel, concrete and other structural elements were tested and certified by testing labs to assure meeting the requirements of the Specifications and the current building code.

Unfortunately, the consideration of high energy aviation fuel that contributed to the failure of the steel columns and beam connections, in part, was an unknown element as later investigation concluded.

For a description of the awarding of the contract, the principal individuals and Yama’s view of the overall process, I would recommend the book entitled “A Life in Architecture,” Minoru Yamasaki, Weatherhill, 1970.

Ron Miller, AIAE