Leslie E. Robertson, the chief engineer in charge of design of the World Trade Center, seems to have done well for himself, notwithstanding the fact that his designs seem to explode to the ground at free-fall speed in an identical symmetrical fashion under dissimilar damage conditions.

His outfit Leslie E. Robertson Associates is behind the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Center. You’d think the financiers of the project, Mori Building Development, would put someone else on the case given how poorly the designs of WTC1, WTC2 and WTC7 fared on 9/11 – if you are to believe the official NIST/FEMA report that is. But they apparently do not.

Leslie Robertson has ostensibly changed his ways since 9/11 as shown in this episode of Megastructures. His new design is now plane-impact proof (just like his previous WTC design was as WTC construction manager, Frank DeMartini, points out).

Isn’t it a surprise then that Leslie Robertson is still using the scapegoated truss design which NIST so readily blames for the WTC collapses. The only substantial design difference in the Shanghai tower I can spot is the ‘modular design’. The tower is a series of 5/6 modules on top of each other. If a module fails, it shouldn’t effect other modules due to reinforced refuge levels absorbing the load and ‘keeping it upright’ (note: WTC never fell sideways and was also composed of two distinct modules (please verify info)).

The rest of the design updates only improve evacuation facilities. There are exit routes for people in case of a fire or plane impact. Central core staircase, outer shell observation elevators and safety/refuge floors every 12 floors are added to this end.

According to the show, this makes it the ‘safest tall building on the planet’. Probably, but not if another false-flag operation becomes a necessity.

Side note: Leslie Robertson ‘fittingly’ received the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Gold Medal in 2004 for his outstanding contribution to design and construction. About the same time the 9/11 Commission Report was published… "Keep your mouth shut, wink wink nudge nudge" anybody?