[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 142 (Monday, July 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44510-44511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16893]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 040709204-4204-01]


Opportunity for Public To View Fire Test of Floor System as Part 
of the Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World 
Trade Center Disaster

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Opportunity for public to view fire test of World Trade Center 
floor system.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology announces 
the opportunity for the public to view the fire test of a floor system 
as part of the federal building and fire safety investigation of the 
World Trade Center disaster. The test will be conducted by Underwriters 
Laboratories, Northbrook, Illinois, on August 25, 2004.

DATES: The test is scheduled to be conducted on August 25, 2004, at 
Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, Illinois. A preliminary 
briefing will be given at 9 a.m., followed by a viewing of the test 
furnace and floor specimen. A conference room has been set up to view 
the test remotely, including video and temperature data. The test is 
scheduled to be completed by 5 p.m. Members of the public wishing to 
view the test will need to submit their request to attend by 5 p.m. 
e.d.t. on Wednesday, August 4, 2004, per the instructions under the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. NIST will inform 
selected attendees if the test is re-scheduled for a later date.

ADDRESSES: The test will be conducted at the facilities of Underwriters 
Laboratories in Northbrook, Illinois. Requests to attend the test must 
be submitted to Mr. Stephen Cauffman, National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8611, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-8611, or via e-mail ([email protected]) or fax (301-975-4052).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stephen Cauffman. Mr. Cauffman's 
e-mail address is [email protected], and his phone is 301-975-6051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) began its building and fire safety investigation of 
the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster in September 2002. This WTC 
Investigation, led by NIST, is conducted under the authority of the 
National Construction Safety Team Act (Pub. L. 107-231, codified at 15 
U.S.C. 7301 et seq.).

Objectives of the WTC Investigation

    The objectives of the NIST-led Investigation are to:
    1. Determine why and how WTC 1 and WTC 2 collapsed following the 
initial impacts of the aircraft and why and how WTC 7 collapsed.
    2. Determine why the injuries and fatalities were so high or low 
depending on location, including all technical aspects of fire 
protection, occupant behavior, evacuation, and emergency response.
    3. Determine what procedures and practices were used in the design, 
construction, operation, and maintenance of WTC 1, 2, and 7.
    4. Identify, as specifically as possible, areas in current building 
and fire codes, standards, and practices that warrant revision.

Resistance-to-Fire Testing

    To aid in the analysis of the response of the WTC towers to fires, 
Underwriters Laboratories, under a contract from NIST, is carrying out 
fire endurance testing of a typical floor system and individual steel 
members under the fire conditions prescribed in the ASTM E119 standard 
test. There will be an opportunity for interested individuals to view 
the fire test scheduled to be conducted August 25, 2004, at 
Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, IL.
    A preliminary briefing will be given at 9 a.m., followed by a 
viewing of the test furnace and floor specimen. A conference room has 
been set up to view the test remotely, including video and temperature 
data. The test is scheduled to be completed by 5 p.m. NIST will inform 
selected attendees if the test is re-scheduled for a later date.

Requests To Attend

    Up to thirty people will be selected to attend the resistance-to-
fire floor system test based upon the following factors:
     Balanced representation of a broad group of interests, 
including the engineering profession, public interest groups and 
families of victims, emergency responders, standards and code making 
organizations, and media outlets; and
     Time of receipt of request within each group.
    To request an opportunity to attend, NIST must receive the 
following information via mail to Mr. Stephen Cauffman, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau

[[Page 44511]]

Drive, Mail Stop 8611, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8611 or via e-mail 
([email protected]) or fax (301-975-4052) no later than 5 p.m. (e.d.t.) on 
August 4, 2004:
     Name and contact information of individual who will be 
attending;
     Name and complete address of organization(s) that 
individual represents; and
     Specific group of interest (from above list).
    Responses to all requests will be mailed, faxed and/or e-mailed, 
based upon the information provided to NIST, on August 9, 2004. NIST 
will also inform selected attendees if the test is re-scheduled for a 
later date.

    Dated: July 18, 2004.
Hratch G. Semerjian,
Acting Director.
[FR Doc. 04-16893 Filed 7-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P