The Engineer’s Response to Terrorism New Questions and Responsibilities Joseph Auchter Matt Ventura Sladana Lazic Anita Lazic Michelle Hood Daniel Miller

Terrorism: A Rising Threat September 11, 2001 Worldwide revision of engineering priorities Terrorism and sabotage enter the equation

Engineering’s New Concerns Traditional concerns: Mechanical failure Human error Malfunction Natural occurrences Weather, natural disasters New issues: Terrorist acts Deliberate sabotage

New Tools and Methods Risk assessment Help with allocation of limited resources Work closely with security agencies Courses teach how to evaluate terrorist threat Information Increased dialogue More careful dissemination New standards and building codes

Nuclear Power What if aircraft crashes into a nuclear containment structure? Aircraft engine tests have been conducted by Sandia National Laboratories Jet aircraft unlikely to penetrate containment structures at 550 to 600 mph Nuclear power plants have four security layers

Nuclear Power What about transportation casks security? full-scale drop from nine meters onto a target thermal test in which the cask was engulfed in a 1,475°F fire for 30 min full-scale rail test in which the cask was smashed into a concrete block at 81 mph

Structures  World Trade Center What went wrong 2/3 of support columns shattered Debris penetrated each building’s core Steel loses strength above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit Vulnerabilities Floor trusses were flimsy Frame system connections were weak Designed to precise specifications Structural redundancy  The Pentagon Survived better than expected Features in original design Made of cast-in-place reinforced concrete Floors made of slab system Supported on spiral-steel-reinforced columns Limited “progressive collapse”

Structures What can be learned Resistance to progressive collapse is critical Fire protection systems need to be in place – Sabotage – Adequate thresholds – Multiple ignitions Can buildings be designed to withstand such attacks

Engineers against Terrorism in Aviation Smart materials that can mend a bullet hole by self-healing Materials that are “harder to breach, harder to damage, and less susceptible to fire” Use of improved fuels that are less volatile.

Engineers against Terrorism in Aviation “Bullet-and-bomb- proofed door” between pilot and cabin “Protective bubble” around national assets “Automatic ground collision avoidance system” New method of Instrument flying called RNP (Required Navigation Performance)

A Map of Power Plants The United States has five types of power plants Gas Coal Oil Hydroelectric Nuclear

How Power Gets Around

Water System Under protected Controlled by Computer Systems Flaws are Public Information

The Role of Engineering in Preventing Chemical and Biological Terrorism Chemical and Genetic Engineering  Implement new and improved detection mechanisms  Develop Faster Decontamination Methods  Develop New Vaccines and Anti-Viruses  Expand Research on genetic mutations and gene manipulation Materials Engineering  Develop and Improve chemical and biological repellent material  Improve Chemical/Biological Agent Shields, Mask, and Air Filtering Capabilities.

The Role of Engineering in Preventing Chemical and Biological Terrorism Mechanical Engineering  Develop faster and more effective anti-biological/chemical weapon deployment systems and mechanisms.  Develop safer storage protection capabilities Civil Engineering  Improve and Expand structures that shield chemical and biological attacks

Conclusion Questions raised by terrorism: How do we measure the threat potential? Who decides the “acceptable risk”? How many safety measures are enough? How do we deal with the unpredictable nature of terrorist acts? Engineers have new responsibilities