On the Analytical and Numerical Investigation of 3D Steel Framed Gravity Systems Exposed to Interior Gravity Column Loss

The purpose of this study is the development of an analytical methodology to describe the response of typical building gravity systems subjected to an interior column removal scenario. The proposed methodology accounts for two collapse mechanisms, termed as the “yielding-type mode” and the “stability mode”. The former is a ductile mechanism comprised by multiple shear connections failure and extensive yield of the wire mesh and the steel deck, while the latter is a brittle collapse mode triggered when one column of the building loses its stability and buckles. The method is based on a series of elastic analyses in appropriately selected geometries of the structure, rendering the method a very easy tool to be perceived and applied. The analytical methodology is implemented to a typical 9 story steel framed building and validated against finite element models of the building, conducting column removal scenarios from the 1^st to the 9^th story. Comparison of the results reveals that the method can accurately estimate the collapse mechanism and provide adequate insight on damage propagation up to the ultimate collapse load.