Development of innovative approaches for ensuring cost-effective global robustness of steel structures

幸运的是，结构性崩溃是一种罕见的事件，但由于各种潜在的触发因素，它可能会发生。“渐进式倒塌”情景导致建筑物内部倒塌的程度与引发倒塌的事件的严重程度严重不成比例。这一现象在备受瞩目的事件中得到了观察，例如俄克拉荷马城阿尔弗雷德·P·默拉联邦大楼的倒塌。虽然这种规模的案例相对较少，但较少宣传的渐进倒塌事件也有发生。这项研究将开发一种新的方法，以经济的方式设计钢结构，以提高其对渐进倒塌失效的抵抗力，如果由于意外或故意的爆炸、冲击、极端环境荷载(如地震或龙卷风/飓风破坏)、结构缺陷或任何其他意外但极端的事件造成局部破坏。这项研究将涉及对结构部件的大规模测试，以及对模拟受损状态下整体结构行为的结构的计算机模拟。从这项研究计划将产生具体的设计指南，将最大限度地提高钢结构的结构完整性和坚固性，同时将经济性作为关键考虑因素。这些准则将被推荐用于加拿大国内和国际上的设计规范和标准中，以防止局部结构损坏导致的渐进性倒塌。

Fortunately, structural collapse is a rare event, but it can happen due to a variety of potential triggers. "Progressive collapse" scenarios result in the extent of collapse within a structure being grossly disproportionate to the magnitude of the event that initiated it. This phenomenon has been observed in high-profile events such as the collapse of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Although cases of this magnitude are relatively rare, progressive collapse events that are less publicised also occur.This research will develop new ways of designing steel structures economically in a way that will increase their resistance to progressive collapse failures, should localised damage be imparted due to accidental or intentional explosion, impact, extreme environmental loading (such as earthquakes or tornado/hurricane damage), structural deficiency, or any other unexpected, but extreme, event. The research will involve large-scale testing of structural components, as well as computer simulations of structures that mimic global structural behaviour in the damaged state.Arising from this research program will be specific design guidance that will maximise structural integrity and robustness of steel structures, while keeping economics as a key consideration. These guidelines will be recommended for implementation into design codes and standards within Canada and internationally in order to prevent progressive collapse from occurring as a result of localised structural damage.