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WTC Disaster Study Recommendations

After issuance of the final report, the National Construction Safety Team Act requires NIST to:

Conduct, or enable or encourage the conducting of, appropriate research recommended by the Team;

Promote (consistent with existing procedures for the establishment of building standards, codes, and practices) the appropriate adoption by the Federal Government, and encourage the appropriate adoption by other agencies and organizations, of the recommendations of the Team with respect to:

  • Technical aspects of evacuation and emergency response procedures;
  • Specific improvements to building standards, codes, and practices; and
  • Other actions needed to help present future building failures.

The NIST recommendations resulting from the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster study impact about 37 specific national standards, codes, and practice guidelines or regulations. In carrying out this work, NIST recognizes that not all of the recommendations will have an impact on model building codes. Many will impact standards that are referenced in model codes. Others will impact stand alone standards used in practice but not referenced in model codes. A few will impact practices, including education and training, that don't have any impact on codes and standards.

Created July 11, 2011, Updated April 5, 2022