Evaluation of Progressive Collapse Resistance of Steel Moment Resisting Frames

Structural safety has always been an important factor for the design of civil engineering projects. One of the mechanisms of structural failure that has gathered increased attention over the past few decades is referred to as progressive collapse. Progressive collapse is the spread of an initial local damage from element to element, resulting eventually in the collapse of an entire structure. The potential cause that can trigger progressive collapse are categorized as: aircraft impact, design/construction error, fire, gas explosions, accidental overload, hazardous materials, vehicular collision, bomb explosions, etc. The aim of this study is to investigate the performance of 15 storeyed geometrically regular and irregular buildings with steel frame system to progressive collapse. Alternate path method based on dynamic analysis is performed based on Indian standard codes. According to alternate path method, the structure is designed such that if one component fails, alternate paths are available for the load and a general collapse does not occur. The response of the building to progressive collapse was studied in detail using structural software for building analysis and design, ETABS.