of the most recognisable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited
paid monument in the world, with more than seven million visitors annually.
World Trade Center, New York, Reconstructed in 2006
The original World Trade Center was a large complex of seven buildings in
New York City, United States, opened in April 1973, and comprised
(1,240,000 m
2 ) 13,400,000 square feet of office space. The core of the complex
was constructed between 1975 and 1985. During the period 1973 to September
2001, the World Trade Center suffered several major incidents, including a fire in
February 1975, and a bombing in February 1993. During its existence, the World
Trade Center was one of the major icons of New York City, featuring in numerous
films.
On 11 September 2001, two Boeing 767 jets were hijacked to fly into the North
and South Towers, within minutes of each other. Two hours later, both towers
collapsed. Debris from the towers, associated with the fires that the debris had
initiated in several adjacent buildings, entailed the partial or complete collapse of
the entire complex, and caused calamitous damage to ten other large buildings in the
neighbouring area.
Cleaning the area and the remains of other buildings took some 8 months. A new
World Trade Center complex is being constructed, comprising six new skyscrapers
and several other buildings, many of them completed. One World Trade Center, with
541 m (1,776 feet) is the highest building in the western Hemisphere and the lead
building for the new complex. It was completed in November 2014.
Force 10 from Navarone
In this story, Alistair MacLean (2004) explains that, in times of war, bombing a
bridge might be difficult or impossible. However, the bridge may be attacked by
using another infrastructure. In effect, demolishing a dam upstream of the bridge
creates a water wave to surge at high speed towards the bridge. This is enough to
destroy the bridge.
Infrastructure as National Icons
The idea behind this section was not to give histories or describe film stories about
infrastructure, but rather to demonstrate that infrastructure, beyond the services that
they are supposed to deliver, can become icons of their countries, of nations, to be
rebuilt, if necessary. As infrastructure precisely represents national icons or helps in
the economy, the enemy may, or surely will, try to attack these infrastructures to
bring these countries or their economy down to heels.
To avoid a short term obsolescence, infrastructure are considered in anticipation
of an expected, yet-future scenario (see Chap. 5, this volume) justified by capacity
planning metrics and statistics (Gupta 2018). Nevertheless, with wrong planning, or
due to enemy attacks, infrastructure may tend to become quickly obsolescent.
Schwenkel (2018) registers the complaints of citizens, who now have to contribute towards the implementation of infrastructure to replace obsolescent infrastructure
7.8 Social Aspects of Infrastructure
211
paid monument in the world, with more than seven million visitors annually.
World Trade Center, New York, Reconstructed in 2006
The original World Trade Center was a large complex of seven buildings in
New York City, United States, opened in April 1973, and comprised
(1,240,000 m
2 ) 13,400,000 square feet of office space. The core of the complex
was constructed between 1975 and 1985. During the period 1973 to September
2001, the World Trade Center suffered several major incidents, including a fire in
February 1975, and a bombing in February 1993. During its existence, the World
Trade Center was one of the major icons of New York City, featuring in numerous
films.
On 11 September 2001, two Boeing 767 jets were hijacked to fly into the North
and South Towers, within minutes of each other. Two hours later, both towers
collapsed. Debris from the towers, associated with the fires that the debris had
initiated in several adjacent buildings, entailed the partial or complete collapse of
the entire complex, and caused calamitous damage to ten other large buildings in the
neighbouring area.
Cleaning the area and the remains of other buildings took some 8 months. A new
World Trade Center complex is being constructed, comprising six new skyscrapers
and several other buildings, many of them completed. One World Trade Center, with
541 m (1,776 feet) is the highest building in the western Hemisphere and the lead
building for the new complex. It was completed in November 2014.
Force 10 from Navarone
In this story, Alistair MacLean (2004) explains that, in times of war, bombing a
bridge might be difficult or impossible. However, the bridge may be attacked by
using another infrastructure. In effect, demolishing a dam upstream of the bridge
creates a water wave to surge at high speed towards the bridge. This is enough to
destroy the bridge.
Infrastructure as National Icons
The idea behind this section was not to give histories or describe film stories about
infrastructure, but rather to demonstrate that infrastructure, beyond the services that
they are supposed to deliver, can become icons of their countries, of nations, to be
rebuilt, if necessary. As infrastructure precisely represents national icons or helps in
the economy, the enemy may, or surely will, try to attack these infrastructures to
bring these countries or their economy down to heels.
To avoid a short term obsolescence, infrastructure are considered in anticipation
of an expected, yet-future scenario (see Chap. 5, this volume) justified by capacity
planning metrics and statistics (Gupta 2018). Nevertheless, with wrong planning, or
due to enemy attacks, infrastructure may tend to become quickly obsolescent.
Schwenkel (2018) registers the complaints of citizens, who now have to contribute towards the implementation of infrastructure to replace obsolescent infrastructure
7.8 Social Aspects of Infrastructure
211