A few points I missed – we should really keep this more focussed; make a list and then pick one point at a time…
I have considered demolition of WTC7 with explosives since I first saw video of its collapse.
I have considered the collapses of the Twin Towers; structural failure at the damaged zones initiating progressive collapse is by far the most reasonable explanation. Once the Twin Towers’ structure is understood, the collapse dynamics are exactly as one would expect – an avalanche of debris accelerated through the floor assemblies, effectively “unzipping” the perimeter, leaving the core remnants to fall last, as videoed.
I considered Chandler’s “Downward Acceleration of WTC1”. I always had a strong feeling there was something wrong with it. Eventually I realised that if true, it rules out accelerating collapse of any structure that has successfully stood for a while, so reductio ad absurdum. The physics is correct (which is what was flummoxing me) but has only one spacial dimension, the vertical; in the real world, things can go past each other. That A&E9/11″Truth” still link to Chandler’s paper is a major mark against either their competence or their integrity.
– “…suggesting that many so called critics don’t actually seem to know what they’re arguing against.”
I agree with that, on both sides. The issue has become polarised, merely a fight in which nearly everyone has taken a side.
– “…could fairly be characterised as a flawless demolition..”
WTC7’s collapse hit two other buildings; the Fiterman Hall and the Verizon Building I think. One had to be demolished, and the other cost nearly a billion to repair.
– “…the lobby of WTC 7 filled with dead and dying according to witnesses..”
I am aware of only one such witness report; that of Barry Jennings, and he reported only a feeling he had after being told not to look down; he did not say he saw dead or dying. WTC7 had been evacuated before the collapse of WTC1 apart from Hess, Jennings and Bennette; Bennette, and WTC7’s evacuated ground floor and lobby are captured on Mark LaGanga’s incredible video “NIST FOIA Release 25 42A0120 G25D31 Video 1 WTC1 Collapse 10_28am”.
– “…even if fire could bring down a steel frame building”
Fire has brought down many steel structures; the Crystal Palace is probably the most famous. That’s why steel building frames are coated in fireproofing, or combined with concrete.
I don’t speculate about NIST’s motivations or their administrative decisions. They got some stuff right, a lot of stuff wrong. But Peter Ketcham was a software engineer for NIST; he’s not a whistleblower as he had no insider knowledge of the collapse investigations. He brings no new information and merely repeats memes found on A&E9/11truth’s site.