Progressive Collapse of Structures: Annotated Bibliography and Comparison of Codes and Standards

Abstract

Progressive collapse is one of the most under-researched areas in structural engineering due to the relative scarcity of the circumstances leading to progressive collapse. The current design standards and building codes provide limited prescriptive or performance-based guidance on analysis or design to guard against progressive collapse. The collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, led to demands by the public to amend current building codes and provide protection against collapse caused by extreme events. Following September 11, the literature on progressive collapse mitigation has expanded significantly. Important issues examined by investigators include events leading to progressive collapse, assessment of loads, analysis methods, and design philosophy. This paper seeks to explore aspects of the current state of knowledge on progressive collapse in the technical literature. The paper also discusses loads, structural analysis requirements, and design approaches in United States standards and guides as well as selected international building codes and standards.