On Potential Progressive Failure of Large-Panel Buildings

Abstract

The potential vulnerability of engineering structures to extreme loading actions, due to which a progressive failure of the entire structure or of a major part of it may develop, emphasizes the need to develop comprehensive analytical procedures for the assessment of the potential progressive collapse of structural systems. This paper aims at presenting a method for calculation of the stability of large-prefabricated panel buildings with interior load bearing walls. Assume that the structural system behaves as a plastic system that is subjected to a severe disturbance, which causes a local failure that may develop into a progressive collapse. It is the objective of this paper to assess the damaged structural system in order to determine whether a new stable structural system will form that is able to maintain static equilibrium and carry the loads or whether stability cannot be attained and a process of progressive collapse will follow. That important observation of whether a progressive collapse will follow or not can be done by static analysis of the damaged structure, whereas the progressive collapse process requires dynamic analysis and is beyond the scope of this paper. The basics of the method were originally developed by Strugatsky (1936–2000), but gained limited exposure and were published in sources of limited access [Strugatsky (1980) in