Twin Towers Engineer Stands by His Design
By DEAN STARKMAN
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
From The Wall Street Journal Online
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Until this past weekend, the principal engineer of the World Trade Center had said little publicly about the total destruction of his signature work.
But 73-year-old Leslie E. Robertson broke his silence at a gathering of fellow structural engineers here, reviewing the project that he began as a 34-year-old wunderkind. What began as a matter-of-fact slide presentation soon became an emotional experience.
Mr. Robertson began his review by flicking through slides of prefabricated exterior panels being hoisted into place in the early 1970s. Gripping the lectern, he faltered. "Oh boy," he said, bowing his head. He gathered himself. "Next slide."
He used a laser pointer to highlight grim photos of Ground Zero: exterior panels torn into jagged sections, twisted steel columns, towering piles of rubble. The commentary continued, like a medical examiner detailing an autopsy. "Here you see classical tension failure. Next slide. You can see the columns displaced. Welds are sheared off. Classical failures. Next slide."
Then came the question-and-answer period. "Is there anything you wish you had done differently in the design of the building?" one engineer called out abruptly. The room fell silent. Mr. Robertson paused and scratched his head. "I guess I wish I had made it stand up longer," he said, his voice trailing off. "I mean, every man was important … " He stood alone at the lectern and wept.
Another engineer, his voice breaking, called out: "I think you did a great job." The audience burst into passionate applause.
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