I was taught that you can push as hard as you like on the brake pedals and the anti skid will prevent tire and brake damage. Was the anti-skid inop and this caused the problem?
Brakes are designed for a single worst case event. That is probable the rejected take off at V1. And they will get hot. Look at the brake cool down tables after a RTO. This aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ900er, is equipped with BTMS (brake temperature monitoring system) to be used in lieu of
But, lets say you land at a speed greater than Vref, and slam on the brakes immediately... maybe a panic stop after landing long / fast ? If the anti-skid had failed, the tires would blow from lack of rotation, and the brakes would be fine, since the wheel would not be rotating the brake discs to generate heat.
But, if the anti-skid is working, as it did here, then the brakes will produce maximum heat energy to stop the plane. Of course, the brake heat build up can destroy the tires and pop the lead plugs in the wheels (neither of these happened).