Title: Robustness of structures

Authors: Uwe Starossek; Marco Haberland

Addresses: Structural Analysis and Steel Structures Institute, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Denickestr. 17, 21073 Hamburg, Germany ' Structural Analysis and Steel Structures Institute, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Denickestr. 17, 21073 Hamburg, Germany

Abstract: Disproportionate collapse is prevented by ensuring collapse resistance, a property defined as the insensitivity of a structure to abnormal events. Enhancing robustness and reducing vulnerability are two different structural measures for achieving collapse resistance. The vulnerability of a structure is its susceptibility to become initially damaged by abnormal events; robustness is its insensitivity to such initial damage. Another option for preventing disproportionate collapse is the reduction of the exposure of the structure to abnormal events. The design strategy reducing vulnerability aims at preventing failure initiation whereas the strategy enhancing robustness aims at preventing disproportionate failure spreading. These two approaches are compared. Robustness can be achieved by the design methods alternative load paths and segmentation, which are also discussed. Furthermore, measures for the quantification of robustness are discussed.

Keywords: disproportionate collapse; progressive collapse; collapse resistance; structural robustness; vulnerability reduction; exposure; alternative load paths; segmentation; design strategies; design methods; abnormal events; failure initiation; robust structures; structural design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLCPE.2012.051279

International Journal of Lifecycle Performance Engineering, 2012 Vol.1 No.1, pp.3 - 21

Received: 13 Oct 2010
Accepted: 07 Jul 2011
Published online: 17 Sep 2014 *

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