The role of infills modelling in progressive collapse capacity assessment of RC buildings: A case study

Abstract

In the last years, experimental tests and numerical simulations have shown that the robustness of reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings can be influenced by several factors. Nonetheless, a few studies have explored the role of infill masonry walls in the progressive collapse capacity of RC frame buildings. This paper presents a numerical study aimed at assessing the role of infill walls in the progressive collapse resistance of a real RC frame building, which was constructed in the 1950s and suffered a partial progressive collapse during retrofitting works. Herein the structural model, analyzed in a previous study, is further refined by integrating nonlinear fiber-based finite element modelling of frame members with nonlinear macro-element modelling of infill walls. The progressive collapse capacity is thus evaluated through nonlinear pushdown analysis in order to assess the effects of infill walls on a realistic structural model that is representative of existing RC frame buildings.