Learning from the World Trade Center Collapse – Use of a Failure Case Study in a Structures and Materials Laboratory Course

The use of failure case studies has been shown to benefit technical, professional, and ethical student learning outcomes in undergraduate education. Recently, incorporation of failure case studies into undergraduate civil engineering, civil engineering technology, construction management, and architecture curricula has been facilitated by the development of educational resources as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. This paper outlines the approach utilized to incorporate the World Trade Center Collapse case study into a junior-level Structures and Materials Laboratory course in an engineering technology and construction management program, identifying the technical and professional component outcomes supported by this case study. Assessment techniques utilized to evaluate technical comprehension of the building performance, as well as to evaluate the impact of this case study on student’s interest in the engineering profession, are presented and discussed.