Sensitivity analysis on progressive collapse resistance of RC structures subjected to single-column notional removal

In this study, the behaviour of a typical reinforced concrete structure subjected to the sudden removal of a single column was assessed. Eight single-column removal scenarios were studied, by varying the column position (i.e. central or corner column) as well as the column location along the height of the structure, from the ground floor to the penultimate floor. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were carried out by varying the ultimate steel strain, which was set to 4% (typical figure used for conventional limit state verifications), 10% and 20%. This allowed the sensitivity of progressive collapse capacity to ultimate steel strain to be evaluated. Further analyses were carried out by varying some structural parameters related to geometry and materials, in order to identify the most influential parameters. The results showed the significant influence of ultimate steel strain on progressive collapse capacity. The yield strength of steel reinforcement and beam span lengths were found to be additional important parameters for progressive collapse assessment.