About 600 students, faculty members and public attendees gathered in the McKimmon Center Monday to hear a lecture discussing the cultural heritage and importance surrounding the site of the One World Trade Center in New York City.

The structure, now the tallest building in the United States, was built on ground that used to hold the Twin Towers, which fell during the terrorist attacks on 9/11. One World Trade Center’s importance stems from the cultural significance surrounding the site on which it was built.  

Four speakers from the construction and engineering firm building the One World Trade Centers presented the lecture, titled “Rebuilding the World Trade Center.” They discussed their involvement and use of state-of-the-art technologies with the structural engineering and construction of the buildings at Ground Zero.  

Built from the ground up, the One World Trade Center is 1,776 feet tall with the spire and consists of a 70-foot-deep basement. The building was designed for security, keeping the terrorist attacks that spurred its construction in mind at every step of the process, according to Yoram Eilon, senior vice president of Building Structures for WSP USA.

The One World Trade Center has a reinforced inner core, hardened walls, four outriggers, auxiliary shear walls, novel nodal systems including flat nodes and corner nodes and built-up columns, and it is being built using a hybrid of concrete and steel, Eilon said. 

Eilon said the One World Trade Center is nearing completion, and for all intents and purposes, it is structurally complete.

The World Trade Center Complex currently consists of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, 4 World Trade Center and 7 World Trade Center. The 2 World Trade Center, 3 World Trade Center and 5 World Trade Center buildings are not yet complete, Elion said.

Rahul Nagwekar, a graduate student in civil engineering, said he came to the lecture to pursue his interest in learning about the structural engineering of the World Trade Center.

“Even though [I’m] just a first year, I think this will be very helpful for [my] major later,” Nagwekar said.

Ahmad Rahimian, director of building structures for WSP USA, said structural engineering plays a role in the world’s race for innovation. 

The buildings that hold the world titles for tallest buildings do not hold them for long, and every few years a taller, more slender building is constructed, Rahimian said. 

Rahimian said he worked on several of the world’s tallest buildings along with very tall residential structures and a dynamic skyscraper. 

The race for the most extreme buildings has led to innovations in the field, such as mass dampers to combat wind and seismic forces. Some buildings have been designed with an off-center core and thus have a twisted exterior, Rahimian said.  

Nihar Gogoi, a civil engineering graduate student, said he enjoyed hearing what the lecturers had to say about the innovative practices being used.

“I thought the most interesting thing was the [different] structural engineering innovations and [techniques] being used,” Gogoi said. 

Thirteen years and 12 days ago, the original World Trade Center collapsed.

The namesake of the Zia distinguished lecture series, an annual event presented by the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at NC State, is Paul Zia, a professor emeritus of civil engineering. The lecture series began 13 years ago to honor Zia, who is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Previous lectures have included features about the Burj Khalifa, the Panama Canal and the original World Trade Center.

The lecture series is designed to prepare students for the workforce and inspire creative thought when designing important projects.