Since NIST is refusing to release computer visualisations of the collapse of the Twin Towers, why not do our own?

Are there any structural/civil engineers out there, with access to finite element analysis modeling software, who can build simplified models of WTC1, WTC2 and WTC7?

This would constitute a solid project for a civil engineer undergrad/graduate for any academics out there.

(More after jump)

Admitting NIST is correct about the global collapse initiation hypothesis, we could replicate these conditions and then render an animated visualisation of the ensuing global structural collapse. If the visualization diverges significantly from what we saw on 9/11, then this is more evidence that there’s something fishy. The models wouldn’t need to be as detailed as the NIST ones, since we’re not interested in the details about the buckling or heat transfer, just with the overall look of the collapse. So we could make the assumption that a few floors at the 80th level totally disintegrate and see what happens then (since the fires didn’t affect the integrity of the lower floors).

The models could be subjected to virtual demolition charges to see if this better explains the nature of the collapse.

Ultimately, we could even use games, similar to bridge building video games but that support buildings, to just get a rough idea of the collapses.