Progressive Collapse of Concrete Structures—A Review

The progressive collapse of reinforced concrete (RC) structures usually starts as a local failure, followed by a sequential reaction that may result in massive portion failure or even progressive collapse of the entire structure. In this paper, the stages of progressive collapse as well as the indirect and direct methods that were proposed in the building codes and design guidelines are introduced, and then, previous experimental studies conducted to investigate the response of the buildings to the imposed damage [removal of column(s)] are discussed and the key findings of those investigations are presented. Previous research showed that both compressive arch action and catenary action can significantly increase the structural resistance of RC frames; however, it depends on the span-to-depth and reinforcement ratios of the members. It was also shown that flexural axial response and Vierendeel action are the two primary gravity load redistribution paths, and axial compressive force imposed by a constraint into a beam above a removed column enhances its flexural strength and the resistance of the assembly to progressive collapse. For parametric studies, a structure model shall include proper plastic hinges (including both flexural and axial deformations) to account for material nonlinearity.