A structural engineering perspective on progressive collapse: Examination of analysis and modelling methods

Abstract

Currently, there is public interest on the issue of progressive collapse of building structures. This paper explores important aspects of progressive collapse investigations, of interest to structural engineers, that are being studied by investigators or presented in certain building codes. These issues include: 1) analysis methods, 2) structure/load modeling issues, 3) level of protection provided to a structure, 4) modeling of joints, and 5) consideration of the effects of high strain rates on mechanical properties. Nonlinear dynamic analysis provides the most reliable simulation of progressive collapse, but it can be computationally demanding for large structural systems. On the other hand, linear elastic analysis may not be suitable for all structures. Furthermore, the desired level of protection and building type may not warrant the computational cost. The suggested levels of progressive collapse protection range from ensuring general structural integrity to hardening of the structure to prevent collapse.

Keywords: Dynamic Analysis, Geometric Nonlinearity, Level Of Protection, Material Nonlinearity, Progressive Collapse, Static Analysis