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Click image for full-size view 
| | | | | I heard and engineer describing the basic design for construction of the twin towers and compared it to a box of straws, with all the straws removed except for those around the parameter. This would allow for the largest amount of floor space, interrupted only by a central core of elevator shafts, stairwells and utility corridors. The remaining straws (steel beams) around the edge, made up the skin of the structure, and the truss for each floor would attach to these and the central core.
When the attackers slammed the hijacked aircraft into the structures, they attempted a diagonal path that would take-out as many of the supporting beams on as many sides of the structure as possible. The optimum hit would cut near a corner, getting the supports on the impact face and adjoining side as well as any immediately across from the point of impact where the bulk of the debris exited. The jet that struck the south tower achieved this almost to perfection, and slashed into that tower at a lower level, leaving more weight above the damaged sections. The second craft also tilted its wings at the last instant to spread the destruction over more floors. This is why the south tower, the second to get hit, was the first to fall.
You can see some of the remaining skin of that fallen giant in this image.
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