Efficient progressive collapse analysis for robustness evaluation of buildings experiencing column removal

Progressive collapse analysis is used to evaluate robustness of buildings against unexpected extreme events and is a highly nonlinear dynamic problem. Motivated by the need for realistic and yet reasonably fast analysis, a “middle-way” approach for efficient progressive collapse analysis (ePCA) is explained in this paper, accounting for column buckling, semi-rigid connection and membrane action of slab. The accuracy of ePCA is validated by comparing with experimental results available in the literature. Application of ePCA on realistic building systems shows that robustness can be improved cost-effectively by introducing minor changes to the steel connection and slab reinforcement. The computational efficiency of this method enables incorporation of robustness design in building system in the early stage of design process. It can also be useful for researchers to more efficiently evaluate the behavior of different structural systems.