Progressive Collapse of Reinforced Concrete Buildings during Earthquakes

Progressive Collapse of Reinforced Concrete Buildings during Earthquakes

In order to observe the interaction of structural elements at the onset of collapse, six frame specimens were planned to be tested at the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering(NCREE), Taiwan in 2008 and 2009. Each specimen is made of a half-scale model of a two-bay two-storey reinforced concrete frame. The specimens were tested under high and low gravity loads to investigate the influence of axial loads on the collapse vulnerability of the structures. The same tests will also be employed to study the interaction of the beams, columns and joints as collapse is initiated. After the conduct of shaking table tests, the results of analytical models were compared to the experimental data. This comparison illustrated the limitations, weaknesses, and strengths of available analytical models. Such studies will lead to a better prediction of the behavior of existing reinforced concrete structures, and consequently, more cost-effective retrofit strategies.