Use of different numerical models to evaluate the robustness of reinforced concrete frame structures

According to Comitè Europèen de Normalisation, robustness is the ability of a structure to withstand events like fire, explosions, impact or the consequences of human error, without being damaged to an extent disproportionate to the original cause. Avoiding the progressive collapse of a building in presence of accidental loading conditions is one of the challenges for the designers. The tie-force method is actually one of the most used design techniques for resisting progressive collapse, whereby a statically indeterminate structure is designed with reference to local simplified models determined in accordance to the failure mode considered. In this work a computational study of a reinforced concrete frame is presented. The structure studied is a beam-column assembly which represents a portion of the structural framing system of a ten-story reinforced concrete frame building and is subjected to distributed loads and to monotonically increasing vertical displacement of the centre column to simulate a column removal scenario.