Experimental and theoretical evaluation of progressive collapse capacity of reinforced concrete framed structures

Progressive collapse is a situation when local failure is followed by collapse of adjoining members, which in turn causes global collapse, threatening life. Local failure of a vertical load carrying member, can be caused by abnormal loading such as explosion, bombing, sudden vehicle impact and design errors. The design of structures against progressive collapse has not been an integral part of structural design. It is difficult to predict the structural behaviour of building members during progressive collapse because of the dynamic nature of the event and the limited experimental tests conducted to understand the nature of progressive collapse. An experimental program comprising eight reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column sub-assemblages is presented to investigate the structural behaviour and progressive collapse resistance of RC frame members subjected to column removal scenario (CRS). The specimens were tested under quasi-static loading.Mitigation of progressive collapse has become a primary concern of engineers in recent years. A new mitigation scheme is proposed in this study to increase the resistance of RC beams against progressive collapse using modified detailing of reinforcement. The effect of the proposed scheme on the structural behaviour of sub-assemblages is investigated through testing some of the specimens with modified detailing. The test results showed that the proposed scheme was able and efficient to increase progressive collapse capacity. A finite element (FE) model was developed using the software package ANSYS in order to numerically simulate the structural behaviour of RC beam-column sub-assemblages under CRS. A macro-model based approach was used in the analysis using beam elements and a series of non-linear springs to capture the real behaviour of structural members associated with the redistribution of loads under CRS. Numerical results were compared with those obtained from the experimental program, and showed a good agreement. An analytical model was developed to predict the structural behaviour of RC structures under CRS. The development of the model equations was based on the concepts of equilibrium, compatibility, and material properties. Steel bar fracture and the reduction in the effective beam depth due to concrete crushing were included in the model. The model was validated by comparing the results with the experimental results. The comparison shows that the model was able to capture the structural behaviour of RC beams under CRS. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of different factors on the progressive collapse capacity

Proceedings of the CSE 2017 Annual PGR Symposium (CSE-PGSym17)

Welcome to the Proceedings of the second Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium of the School of Computing, Science and Engineering (CSE-PGSym 2017). After the success of the first symposium, the school is delighted to run its second symposium which is being held in The Old Fire Station on 17th March 2017. The symposium is organised by the Salford Innovation Research Centre (SIRC) to provide a forum for the PGR community in the school to share their research work, engage with their peers and staff and stimulate new ideas. In line with SIRC’s strategy, the symposium aims to bring together researchers from the six groups that make up the centre to engage in multidisciplinary discussions and collaborations. It also aims to contribute to the creation of a collaborative environment within the Research Centre and the Groups and share information and explore new ideas. This is also aligned with the University’s ICZ (Industrial Collaboration Zone) programme for creating cultural, physical and virtual environments for collaboration, innovation and learning

SPARC 2017 retrospect & prospects : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2017 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the 50th anniversary of Salford as a University, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 130 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to exploit this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas to your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

A new mitigation scheme to resist progressive collapse of RC structures

Reinforced concrete structures may be vulnerable to progressive collapse due to lack of sufficient continuous reinforcement. In most guidelines, general structural integrity requirements to reduce progressive collapse have been introduced, but the design of structures against progressive collapse has not been a major consideration. A mitigation scheme is proposed to increase resistance against progressive collapse. This involves the provision of additional reinforcement bars in the mid-layer of reinforced concrete beams. In the research reported here, four specimens were designed and tested subject to quasi-static loading conditions for a column removal scenario. One test specimen was made with conventional steel reinforcement and three specimens were made with additional steel reinforcement at the mid depth of the beam. The quasi-static behaviour of the test specimens were converted to a dynamic representation using an energy balance approach to obtain the progressive collapse load. Test results show that the proposed scheme significantly improves the ductility and collapse load of concrete beams subject to a column removal scenario