Construction of the World Trade Center

American Experience
Air Date: 09/09/03 | Rating: NR

The foundations themselves presented the first challenge. They would have to descend through 70 ft. of water-logged landfill before reaching bedrock. The greatest challenge by far, however, lay in the engineering of the towers themselves. The solution, developed by the structural engineers John Skilling & Leslie Robertson in the mid-1960s, was to re-conceive the basic structure of tall buildings.

Become a PBS KVIE member and watch your favorite PBS programs from any device.

Become a Sponsor