PREVENTING PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE OF MULTI-STORY BUILDINGS
Yahia Tokal
Abstract
The progressive collapse of the World Trade Center towers has
generated a worldwide concern of the risks of progressive collapse
in multi-story buildings. The prevention of progressive collapse lies
primary in the proper and effective analysis of the structures having
high potential to progressivity. Different analysis methods are
presented herein such as linear elastic static, non-linear static, linear
elastic dynamic, and non-linear dynamic analysis. To minimize the
progressive collapse risks, The structural system of the building
should be able to tolerate the removal of one or more structural
members and redistribute their load on the surrounding members, so
that disproportionate collapse would not take place.
Progressive Collapse Chain Reaction Phenomenon (9-11 Review, 2003)
Introduction
• Progressive collapse occurs when local failure of primary
structural element leads to a chain reaction of structural element
failures, and resulting in the collapse of all or disproportionately
large part of the structure.
• The interest in progressive collapse can be tracked back to the
collapse of the 22-story Ronan Point apartment building in
England 1968, when a gas explosion in the 18th floor caused the
floors above to collapse.
The weight and impact
of the collapsed upper
floors caused a series
of progressive failures
of the corner bay of
the building, which
collapsed from top to
bottom all the way to
the ground.
Progressive Collapse of the Ronan Point apartment
building in England 1968 (Shankar, 2004)
Civil Engineering Seminar, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan
Analysis Methods
Linear Elastic Static Analysis .
• Analysis is done based on the static removal of a major structural element.
• This method is approximate, and hence, design loads are conservative.
• The main advantages of this method lie in its simplicity.
Non-Linear Static Analysis
• The main advantages of this method is that it accounts for the non-linear
behavior of the members.
• The ductility of the structure can be evaluated using this non-linear
approach.
Non-Linear Dynamic Analysis
• This is the most accurate method to express the behavior of the structure
following the removal of one or more structural elements.
• This method is more realistic as it accounts for the ductility, yielding, Progressive Failure of Multi-story Building Proper Design against Progressive Collapse
cracking, and damping
• It is very complicated and time consuming. (Rittenhouse, and Smilowitz, , 2004)
Prevention of Progressive Collapse
• The total prevention of progressive collapse may not be feasible as
it is uneconomic. Yet, proper designing and detailing can
significantly reduce its possibility.
• The alternate load path method focuses on providing a redundant
load path following the loss of an individual structural member, so
that a disproportionate collapse will not take place.
• Integrity, continuity, and energy-dissipating capacity in the
structural members are essential to transfer the loads from the
locally damaged region to adjacent regions capable of sustaining
these additional loads without collapse.
(a) Ordinary Design (b) Alternate Load Path Design
Behavior of Beam after removal of the Middle Column: Alternate Load Path Design (Baldridge and Humay, 2003)
Conclusion References
• Rittenhouse, T. and Smilowitz, R., (2004). “Building Protection on Main Street, USA”,
• The analysis of multi-story buildings subjected to progressive collapse can be preliminary started using a simple method such as the linear Design-Build Dateline
elastic static method. If further analysis is necessary, more advanced analysis approaches can be used such as the non-linear elastic static • Burns, J., Abruzzo, J., Tamaro, M. (2003). “Structural System for Progressive Collapse
and the non-linear dynamic analyses (Marjanishvili, 2004). Prevention”
• GSA (2003), “Progressive Collapse Analysis and Design Guideline for New Federal Office
• The size, shape, and importance of the building are the major factors used to determine the most suitable analysis approach for each Buildings and Major Modernization Projects” General Service Administration,
building Washington, D.C.
• Marjanishvili, S. M., (2004). “Progressive Analysis Procedure for Progressive Collapse”,
• To prevent progressive collapse, the structural system of the building should be able to tolerate the removal of one or more structural Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities-ASCE, May, pp. 79-85.
members and redistribute their load on the surrounding members, so that disproportionate collapse would not take place • Shankar, R., (2004). “Progressive Collapse Basics”, Modern Steel Construction, pp. 37-41.
• Baldridge and Humay (2003) “Preventing Progressive Collapse in Concrete Buildings”
• 9-11 Review website (2003) “www.911review.com”