question about the 'squibs'

[alexg]

In looking at the videos it seems to me that the squibs, while blowing out the windows pretty rapidly, are going more slowly than I would expect from explosions. Has anyone looked into this, comparing the speed of demo squibs to the speed of the WTC puffs?

[Oliver]

Seems to be Squibs from the falling buildings pressure... "Demolition squibs" would be faster... :)

[defaultdotxbe]

you are correct, explsives would result in a much faster blast wave (this is key to an explosive because its the fast shockwave that does all the work) although i dont think anyone has done an in-depth comparison of the 2

[Alareth]

In looking at the videos it seems to me that the sqibs, while blowing out the windows pretty rapidly, are going more slowly than I would expect from explosions. Has anyone looked into this, comparing the speed of demo squibs to the speed of the WTC puffs?

The reason that the "squibs" do not seem to resemble standard demolitions squibs is because there were no squibs in the buildings. It is air pressure blowing out the windows.

[alexg]

The reason that the "squibs" do not seem to resemble standard demolitions squibs is because there were no squibs in the buildings. It is air pressure blowing out the windows.

Yes, I understand. I used the word 'squib' for lack of a better word. Let's say 'puffs'. I'm saying a comparison of velocity between the puffs and actual demo squibs might help to debunk the claim that they are squibs.

[Bell]

Yes, I understand. I used the word 'squib' for lack of a better word. Let's say 'puffs'. I saying a comparison of velocity between the puffs and actual demo squibs might help to debunk the claim that they are squibs.

Nope. The deniers will say it were special skweeps caused by sekrit gubmint explosive thermamite.

[defaultdotxbe]

Nope. The deniers will say it were special skweeps caused by sekrit gubmint explosive thermamite.
you forgot the word "nano"

[Gravy]

In looking at the videos it seems to me that the squibs, while blowing out the windows pretty rapidly, are going more slowly than I would expect from explosions. Has anyone looked into this, comparing the speed of demo squibs to the speed of the WTC puffs?
I have looked into this, and have measured the speed of some of the more prominent "squibs." You are correct. In addition, the velocity of the "squibs" increases as the collapses progress – not an effect you'd see with explosives. I'll have more on this when my new Loose Change Guide is out.

[Bikewer]

I wonder where they came up with the term "squibs". Normally, this is a special-effects term for a sub-powered explosion designed to look good but be relatively harmless.

I can assure you that the sort of charge needed to cut steel beams and shatter reinforced concrete is not a "squib".

As I mentioned much earlier in one of the other threads, our university imploded a 9-story dormitory building a few years ago. This effort required about three months of prep work. A large crew with jackhammers, drills, steel-cutting power saws, and other noisy tools cut, dug out, drilled through, and otherwise weakened the main support structures in the building before ever a charge was laid.
The actual placement of charges was equally involved, what with dozens of explosive charges wired to a precisely-timed demolition "block" or ignition device.

All this took place after the place was virtually stripped of everything removable.

Very difficult to imagine CIA super-ninja-spooks craftily moving invisibly through the interstices of the towers, carrying several tons of explosives....

[Belz...]

Very difficult to imagine CIA super-ninja-spooks craftily moving invisibly through the interstices of the towers, carrying several tons of explosives....

Pfft. You underestimate that which you cannot understand.

<ninja-teleports>

[shuize]

I wonder where they came up with the term "squibs". Normally, this is a special-effects term for a sub-powered explosion designed to look good but be relatively harmless.

I can assure you that the sort of charge needed to cut steel beams and shatter reinforced concrete is not a "squib".

As I mentioned much earlier in one of the other threads, our university imploded a 9-story dormitory building a few years ago. This effort required about three months of prep work. A large crew with jackhammers, drills, steel-cutting power saws, and other noisy tools cut, dug out, drilled through, and otherwise weakened the main support structures in the building before ever a charge was laid.

The actual placement of charges was equally involved, what with dozens of explosive charges wired to a precisely-timed demolition "block" or ignition device.

All this took place after the place was virtually stripped of everything removable.
I think this is yet another crucial point. I am certainly not an expert, but even I know demolition crews don't just walk in and slap explosives up against the side of buildings. As noted, there is always extensive prep work in order to weaken the structures so that the charges can actually blow through them.

The idea that government agents could secretly carry enough explosives, much less the thousands and thousands of hours of prep work on two buildings the size of the towers simultaneously, such that they would both fall at "free fall speed" when the supports were blown out -- without anyone noticing -- is yet another example of the galactic stupidity of the "truthers."

[Blackadder_no]

It has always struck me that these "squibs" they keep pointing at; even all of them combined appear to do far less damage to the structure than the impact of the aircraft, and even that wasn't enough to bring down the building right away.

[I'll_buy_that]

I still can't get over the initial conversation....

Cheney "...so we'll get a few hundred guys to place explosives in WTC7 so it falls and possibly kills a thousand people..."

Bush "...Is that legal?"

Cheney "shut up George"

Bush " so how do we keep these guys quiet?"

Cheney " we'll hire a hundred more people to bribe or kill them"

Bush " oh, then how do we keep that other hundred people quiet?"

Cheney " shut up George"

Bush "Do we need to blow up WT7? i mean, we will have probably killed ten thousand by toppling WTC 1 & 2. so why 7?"

Cheney "That is the brilliance of the plan, no one would ever figure it out"

Bush "Why do we want to kill ten thousand of our own citizens?"

Cheney "Shut up George"

[cloudshipsrule]

The idea that government agents could secretly carry enough explosives, much less the thousands and thousands of hours of prep work on two buildings the size of the towers simultaneously, such that they would both fall at "free fall speed" when the supports were blown out -- without anyone noticing -- is yet another example of the galactic stupidity of the "truthers."

No, see, you're missing the big picture. The sheer genius of it all was the use of highjacked planes. The calculations were done way ahead of time (years in advance), and demolition experts hired by the government knew the planes would cause enough damage that only 1/3 the usual amount of prep time and explosives would be needed to bring the buildings down.

You people just don't get it. The government hates us all. They want us dead. They won't stop until we're all dead. It's utterly hopeless. :( Life sucks.

[Hellbound]

No, see, you're missing the big picture. The sheer genius of it all was the use of highjacked planes. The calculations were done way ahead of time (years in advance), and demolition experts hired by the government knew the planes would cause enough damage that only 1/3 the usual amount of prep time and explosives would be needed to bring the buildings down.

You people just don't get it. The government hates us all. They want us dead. They won't stop until we're all dead. It's utterly hopeless. :( Life sucks.

But at least we still have Jell-OTM

[MRC_Hans]

Furthermore ('cuze me for getting back on topic), those puffs appear after the collapse has started. Whereas, while not being a demolition expert, I find it safe to assume that demolition charges are normally fired just before the collapse starts.

And, having, in the course of these debates, watched an inordinate number of videos of actual demolitions, I notice that just the same puffs are also often visible there. Seems, whatever the reason a building collapses, the air inside has to get out.

Hans