Energy-Based Approach to Structural Robustness

Introduction Structures must be robust, so that after accidentaldamage, they will not suffer consequences dispropor-tionate to the original causes. In structural engineer-ing, the modern research on structural robustness maydate back to the progressive collapse of the RonanPoint in England in 1968, where a relatively weakexplosion led to a disproportionate failure ( seeFig.1). Following this accident, considerable at-tempts have been made on this subject though debatecontinues about the true…

Energy-Based Approach to Structural Robustness

The robustness analysis is conducted from the viewpoint of energy. A new method to robustness appraisal is developed, in which a dimensionless form of the amount of energy that the structure absorbs serves as a robustness index. A flexural member is adopted for illustrative purpose. Furthermore, the relationships between the robustness index and the ratio of ultimate strain to yield strain of four typical members are defined. It is shown that the index proposed herein can reflect the influence of member behavior in terms of robustness. Finally, methods of ensuring structural robustness are discussed.