Collapse-resistant mechanisms induced by various perimeter column damage scenarios in RC flat plate structures

Abstract

This paper aims at assessing the impact of removing various numbers of perimeter columns on the integrity of RC flat plate substructures. Compared to interior columns, those at the corner and edge positions on the building perimeter are more likely to damage by accidental and abnormal loads, which in turn may cause progressive collapse of the entire structure. Given the uncertainty of the loading events, the likelihood of multiple perimeter columns being simultaneously destroyed is also high. However, existing research has primarily focused on the single column removal cases. To address this research limitation, a 3D high-fidelity finite element model of a flat plate substructure with a missing corner column (named Model C) was developed. The accuracy of the model was validated based on our previous experiment of the same substructure. The validated model was subsequently modified to cover two and multiple perimeter column removal scenarios. The two new models are namely, Model C_1e in which a corner column and an adjacent edge column were damaged and Model C_2e, with a corner column and two adjacent edge columns being removed. The simulation results reveal that flexural action was the primary load resisting mechanism in all three models. The load carrying capacity with three column removals was reduced by 75.6% compared to the removal of a single corner column. Full-depth cracks were found at the cut-off position of the top slab rebars for the columns adjacent to the removed one(s). In Model C and Model C_2e, cracks exhibited a diagonal axisymmetric failure pattern of the corner of the slab, with equal load transfer to two adjacent columns. In contrast, Model C_1e exhibited a diagonal non-axisymmetric failure pattern of the slab corner, with more loads being transferred to the adjacent column along the shorter bay. The energy-based dynamic response analyses were also performed to obtain the Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF) for the substructure models under different column removal scenarios. Based on the nonlinear regression analysis, the DIFs for the substructures with one and two column removals were found to be ranged between 1.22 and 1.51, and 1.28–1.68, respectively.