Collapse Performance of Existing Buildings after Loss of Load-Bearing Walls and Columns

Collapse performance of nine existing multi-story buildings have been investigated through field experiments and computational modelling. Masonry, reinforced concrete and steel frame buildings have been tested. Most of the test buildings were located on the Ohio State University campus. Single or multiple first-story columns were physically removed from each building during the experiments. The data produced in this research has been a valuable addition to the state of knowledge on progressive collapse of buildings because experimental evidence from full-scale structures is either very limited or does not exist. The main goal of field experiments was to simulate the dynamic and static response of buildings that may experience progressive collapse after sudden loss of column(s). Another objective was to investigate how the internal forces would be redistributed within the building after column loss. Experimental data is used to evaluate the design methods and analysis procedures recommended in current design guidelines. Two and three-dimensional building models were analyzed to simulate the progressive collapse response. Computational models and simulations were compared with the experimental data from the field tests. This study showed robustness of existing buildings and potential contribution of structural components to collapse resistance.