Numerous tests of the design of the complex cable system have been conducted at the University of California-Berkeley, including a recent program where critical columns supporting the floor where removed, leaving only the cables to hold up an entire building floor.
The test was sparked by the Oklahoma City bombing where 168 people were killed when a supporting column collapsed in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. According to system designers, the cost of putting cables into new construction columns would add about $2 a square foot to the regular cost of $200 a square foot. In addition, the cables could make repair chores easier, allowing workers to jack up flooring to gain access to columns and cables.
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