Is it possible to knock down something like say, a tower or building with a 100 ton object?

Question

The object is slender in nature and aerodynamic. Is it possible that when a wrecking ball cannot knock a building down with one hit, said object knock down said building with one hit going at 100-600mph?

yes. but then it wasn't 100% proven that the towers were evicerated because of the planes. explosives are a great help in knocking down buildings. try knocking down a model building of legos with a toy plane.

With a maximum takeoff weight of 875000 pounds (396900 kg), the standard 747-400 Freighter can carry 124 tons (113000 kg) of cargo up to 4450 nautical miles ...
yes i am refferring to 9/11 i don't know exactly what kind of plane it was but i know planes can weigh more than 100 tons

Answer 1

remember 9-11?

i think a plane is less then 100 tons (200,000 lbs) and can easily go between 100-600 mph
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i know that it wasn't just the plane knocking the twin towers down, it was the fire. however since you didn't describe the type of building it could be only 10 stories or less, and a plane could obviously destroy it even if it was smaller then a 747 or a 767.

Answer 2

jpferrierjr above does not know what he is talking about. Jet fuel burns at 2000 F because this is the maximum temperature that it is meant to be burning at inside an engine, however with proper draft (like in a high building, it is called chimney effect) the temperature can increase to much higher level, as the fire burns fuel at a faster rate. Moreover, pyrolysis of heated but not yet ignited material will release gases that burn at a much higher temperature. Finally, although steel can start melting as low as at 2000 F (look at the chart on the attached link; NOT 3000 F -- 2000 F is about 1150 C) depenfing on the carbon concentration it changes phase at 700 C, that is only about 1250 F and starts losing strength. How else can someone explain iron work then? Red hot steel being hammered into shape? The metal is NOT liquid then, is it?

I am a mechanical engineer, with a master degree and 26 years of experience in aerospace industry. So, this is sort of my expertise...

Now, to answer the question itself, the aircraft alone would not have been able to bring down the building, it is the fire that really did it. If the impact would have been sufficient, then the tower would have collapsed immediately, as by then all the mechanical damage was done already.
The building was too wide for an airplane to really and significantly damage enough structural members to bring it down, A wrecking ball would not do more damage, as it too would only hit a small portion of the structure. Over demolishing a section does not compensate for the non demolished and still intact structure.

The planes involved on the WTC attack on 9/11 were Boeing 767. Depending on the version, they can weight between 150 and 200 tons.

Answer 3

you need to provide what the building is made of and how well built it is. For all we know this could be a building of toothpicks. And, if you're referring to the twin towers, no it is not possible for a plane to knock it over. The towers were class A buildings, they were made to withstand F-5 tornado's, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Yes, it is a little fishy since the steel's melting point is 3000 deg F, and jet fuel only burns at a maximum of 2000 deg F. (it's all true, look it up on the periodic table of elements. And also I work on planes, so i know about jet fuel.)

Well, Mr. Vincent G, answer me this one then. How come the WTC's were the only skyscrapers, in history, to ever collapse from a fire? When a B-29 hit the empire state building, it burned for hours. A building, built with lesser quality, didn't collapse. The steel was rated for the fire, and most of the fuel burned outside, as the buildings walls collapsed the fuel tanks. Which being an expert and all, you would now that the fuel is kept in the wings, and part of the fuselage for balance. With my career also revolving around aircraft, I'd like to say that I know a little too. Usually the chimney effect works with proper ventilation, hence the word CHIMNEY.

Answer 4

No.

But if the metal sub structure is heated sufficiently to weaken it, the weight of the upper floors can bring it down like a house of cards.

Answer 5

Even though the airplane did hit a tower, they are built to withstand the temperature of the flames, check out loose change. the airplane wasn't the cause.