206 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



All we know is what we measure above the sea. 



Now then, if this bracing, for example, is all gone, there is some 

 indication from some quick computations made that actually you could 

 have complete collapse of one of these legs without any severe forces 

 put on them. 



If all these bracings were gone, it is rather likely these legs would 

 simply buckle becraise they were too long, so you wouldn't need any 

 waves at all. 



Another factor was if some of these braces were gone, then down 

 near the footing on the bottom of the leg you could have stresses, 

 perhaps, three times as high as we measured up here. 



Xow, when j^ou have stresses three times as high, moderate up here, 

 down here [pointing to ocean floor] they might not be moderate when 

 you consider the salt water and, perhaps, holes and things like that, 

 but that is speculation because until someone tells me that the 

 structure is like underneath the sea, I could not possibly tell wliether 

 the stress is three times as much; I could merely say it could be 

 three times as much if the structure is gone. 



I could also say it may be likely that you could have column 

 failure in one of these legs without any waves, provided that all 

 the structure is gone. 



You see, this is all contingent on knowing something that I don't 

 know, what is the condition of the subsea structure. 



Senator Saltonstall. "Wliat you emphasize to us is that this 

 bracing above the water, as shown in red, was ineffective to strength- 

 en the tower if the braces below the Avater were gone or were not 

 sufficient. 



Mr. Brewee, Well, it would help partially. For one thing, this 

 column failure is a matter of length. Therefore, you shortened the 

 column by putting these braces in, so speaking of pure column fail- 

 ure these braces have indeed helped out, even though this structure 

 might be gone down here [pointing], from the standpoint of de- 

 flection, this bracing has helped it because it has reduced tlie mo- 

 tion of the leg and, therefore, the motion force. 



However, if under heavy seas they present a profile to the waves, 

 that increases vastly the force on the tower and then, perhaps, they 

 have made things woree. But these things can only be determined 

 by an analysis which we did not make. 



This was a conversational opinion which I gave to the Navy on 

 one of the trips back when I suggested that they look into the pos- 

 sibility of this for reducing motion, and it was not made to reduce 

 stress or improve tower integrity. 



Senator Saltonstall. But, if the bracing below the water were 

 gone, then tlie braces above the water, shown in red, would not be 

 sufficient to hold the tower in place. 



My. Brewer. Well, I would hate to say that without makmg an 

 investigation. 



As I say, a cursory investigation that we made indicated you could 

 still have column failure if you lost all the bracing. 



Senator Saltoxstall. You could still have what ? 



Mr. Brewer. Column failure ; tliat is, one of the legs could buckle 

 simply from the weight. 



