Name:   Osms - Subject:   World Trade Center Date:   11/9/2015 11:43:04 PM

On my first job after mil service, I went to work in sales for Laclede Steel in St Louis (Alton, IL) just as they were finishing the bar joists for the WTC.  At the time (early 1970s) that was the largest bar joist job in history.  The joists were 60' + and were at least six feet tall.  Laclede's mill was on the banks of the MS river so the joists were loaded on barges and floated to NY.  As I understand it the building exterior was stainless and supported one end of the joists, while the concrete elevator core supported the other end.  Each floor had four complexes of joists, each about 60' x 60'.  Laclede folded in the 90s thanks to cheap Chinese steel.  I saw those towers several times on trips to NYC, but never had the time to visit....wish I had.