General Services Administration Research Articles

Progressive Collapse Analysis of G+10 RCC Building

This study important of the progressive collapse that final damage of the structure is not similar as the initial collapse of structure. The key parameters used story displacement in eleven-storey building of regular shape that has modelled and analyzed by the ETABS 2018 software by using the Indian standard codes. Then for the calculation of progressive collapse we use U.S General Service Administration (GSA 2016) guidelines. The demand capacity ratio (DCR) values of the neighboring member are taken into account after the damage the DCR values for regular structure must be with in (2). In this study the progressive collapse is considered in three different cases that is at corner, interior and at exterior columns.

Building an evidence engine to promote more responsive government

AbstractPublic agencies require timely and reliable evidence to adapt operations and strategies quickly to effectively tackle unanticipated challenges in service to the American people. Federal agencies are generally not well equipped to take full advantage of the resources they own to effectively align with evidence needs. Guidance has been issued to fill this gap, yet federal agencies have not fully adopted the use of evidence, especially performance data, in decision‐making. Moreover, both law and academia provide little guidance on how agencies can connect the demand and supply of knowledge. This paper discusses how the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) of the General Services Administration (GSA) has developed and sustained a framework for collecting and transforming data into reliable evidence to inform decision‐making, that is, created an evidence engine. Federal agencies can learn from the FAS approach to improve their evidence‐building activities to achieve economies of scale, reduce costs, and increase evidence‐informed responsiveness to ever‐changing needs.

The 3D plan analysis under progressive collapse for RC buildings through demand capacity ratio (DC) for three levels of damage

The progressive collapse presents a sudden load may cause initial failure in local parts at the frame which could lead to sequence reactions in the elements of the structure. A building of seven storeys was chosen to designed under gravity load according ACI 318 Code. This building is analyzed under progressive collapse condition for two columns damage cases; edge damage, corner damage. The building needs to be loaded as specified according (GSA) General Services Administration requirements through linear static analysis. The results of linear analysis show the variation in ((DC)) demand capacity ratio for the columns. The aspects of damage action in this study regarding section size and damage cases with 100% damage column loss (full damage), 60% damage (0.6 section size), 80% damage (0.8 section size). A GSA guideline to typical building with (DC) values bigger than 1.5 refer to critical potential damage conditions at the columns of the frame. It can be seen of the results the effect of size reduction for the building. This effect is clear to be decreased along distance from any plan. The((DC)) for columns which exceeded 1.5 value which show risky damage condition could actually happened that present serious threat possibility specially for nominated columns C22, C29 and C23 at plans A and B which show middle columns at lower position of the building.

Progressive collapse of regular RC structure considering flexibility of slabs under gravity and wind loads

Abstract Progressive collapses are disastrous phenomena which occur in the structure due to manmade incidents or natural disasters. There are not any significant studies considering the flexibility of slabs in the structures, as an alternative to treating them as rigid diaphragms. The present study deals with the progressive collapse of a regular reinforced concrete structure considering flexibility of slabs, comparing the same when the slabs are considered as rigid diaphragms. 20 storey(G+19) building is modeled using ETABS software and nonlinear static analysis is performed under the action of gravity and wind loads. At the outset, the analysis is done for undamaged structure to find the behavior of structure and then the damaged models have been analyzed by removing one of the critical column in different locations at first storey, based on general services administration (GSA) guidelines[16]. Various response parameters such as base force capacity, storey stiffness and storey displacements have been compared for undamaged and damaged structures considering and not considering the flexibility of slabs. From the comparison of the results, it was noticed that the chance of progressive collapse is high when the corner column is damaged and also resistance to wind load is considerably higher when stiffness of slabs is considered for the analysis in both undamaged structure and the four cases of damaged structure (ii), which is about three times higher.

Progressive Collapse of RCC Structure: A Review

Progressive collapse is a sudden, severe failure of a structure, spreading from an initial point of damage to other parts. It occurs when a critical component, like a column, is compromised, often triggered by accidents, explosions, or natural disasters. The concern about the progressive collapse increased during the late sixties after the Ronan Building incidences in the UK. Mitigation efforts against the progressive collapse focus on minimizing the risk and potential catastrophic consequences. The critical issue with progressive collapse is the significant difference between the initial and final damage, which can destroy the whole building. Various strategies prevent the initial damage from spreading and causing more destruction. These include strengthening certain load-bearing elements or designing the building plan more effectively. The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) provide crucial guidelines for preventing progressive collapse. One standard method they recommend is the Alternative Path Method (APM). This method helps evaluate how a building would respond to potential progressive collapse by ensuring that the rest of the structure can still stand safely if one part fails. An attempt has been made in the current research to assimilate the research carried out in the recent past in the field of progressive collapse and its mitigation and put forth recommendations.

Progressive Collapse of Typical and Atypical Reinforced Concrete Framed Buildings

This paper investigates the progressive collapse potential of eight-story reinforced concrete framed buildings with several atypical structural configurations and compares results with a typical structural configuration. The alternative load path mechanism, the linear-static analysis procedure amplified by dynamic increase factors, and the demand capacity ratio criterion limits from the U.S. General Services Administration guideline were used to evaluate the vulnerability of the different atypical and typical framed structures. Variations in bay size, plan irregularity, and closely spaced columns were used to represent the atypical structural configurations. The extracted demand-capacity ratio (DCR) of the global structural response showed that the demand-capacity ratio for the longitudinal frame with short-span beams had a larger DCR than the transverse frame with longer beam spans with significant potential for progressive collapse. Furthermore, atypical building configurations with closely spaced columns failed by shear and showed the highest DCR limits. In addition to the global structural response, the local member end actions were also evaluated. The evaluation showed that the critical atypical frame configuration with closely spaced columns had a 91% and 127% maximum shear force and support bending moment value difference, respectively, when compared to a baseline typical frame configuration.

Insider Threats to the Military Health System: A Systematic Background Check of TRICARE West Providers.

To address the pandemic, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) expanded its TRICARE civilian provider network by 30.1%. In 2022, the DHA Annual Report stated that TRICARE's provider directories were only 80% accurate. Unlike Medicare, the DHA does not publicly reveal National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers. As a result, TRICARE's 9.6 million beneficiaries lack the means to verify their doctor's credentials. Since 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has excluded 17,706 physicians and other providers from federal health programs due to billing fraud, neglect, drug-related convictions, and other offenses. These providers and their NPIs are included on the OIG's List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE). Patients who receive care from excluded providers face higher risks of hospitalization and mortality. We sought to assess the extent to which TRICARE screens health care provider names on their referral website against criminal databases. Between January 1-31, 2023, we used TRICARE West's provider directory to search for all providers within a 5-mile radius of 798 zip codes (38 per state, ≥10,000 residents each, randomly entered). We then copied and pasted all directory results' first and last names, business names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, degree types, practice specialties, and active or closed statuses into a CSV file. We cross-referenced the search results against US and state databases for medical and criminal misconduct, including the OIG-LEIE and General Services Administration's (GSA) SAM.gov exclusion lists, the HHS Office of Civil Rights Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) breach reports, 15 available state Medicaid exclusion lists (state), the International Trade Administration's Consolidated Screening List (CSL), 3 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) debarment lists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) list of January 6 federal defendants, and the OIG-HHS list of fugitives (FUG). Our provider search yielded 111,619 raw results; 54 zip codes contained no data. After removing 72,156 (64.65%) duplicate entries, closed offices, and non-TRICARE West locations, we identified 39,463 active provider names. Within this baseline sample group, there were 2398 (6.08%) total matches against all exclusion and sanction databases, including 2197 on the OIG-LEIE, 2311 on the GSA-SAM.gov list, 2 on the HIPAA list, 54 on the state Medicaid exclusion lists, 69 on the CSL, 3 on the FDA lists, 53 on the FBI list, and 10 on the FUG. TRICARE's civilian provider roster merits further scrutiny by law enforcement. Following the National Institute of Standards and Technology 800, the DHA can mitigate privacy, safety, and security clearance threats by implementing an insider threat management model, robust enforcement of the False Claims Act, and mandatory security risk assessments. These are the views of the author, not the Department of Defense or the US government.

Triple bottom line, environmental, social and governance and net zero in commercial real estate

Climate and sustainability are at the forefront of dialogue within corporate real estate (CRE) organisations. Nearly 40 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions come from the real estate sector. Of these emissions, approximately 70 per cent are produced by building operations, while the remaining 30 per cent comes from construction.1 A common language and aligned path is essential in making progress if we, as an industry, are to meet the goals we are setting. Sustainability, when referring to the triple bottom line, is a concept that refers to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of an organisation and measures three areas of impact: people, planet, profit. This paper explores how sustainability takes into account the needs of an organisation’s stakeholders (including the community, general public and its employees) along with its own interests. This results in stronger relationships with these groups. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is a federal government entity with a mission to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition and technology services to the government and the American people. One of GSA’s strategic goals is to provide financially and environmentally sustainable, accessible and responsive real estate solutions that enable a productive federal workforce. This paper provides highlights of how GSA is driven by three guiding principles: buy clean, build clean; net zero operations by 2045; and design for people, design for impact. The challenge of finding appropriate solutions to meet the demands of today are presented in actionable ways in examples from GSA as it continues to partner with industry, other organisations and communities to develop innovative solutions that support customer missions, enable community development and protect the environment, while providing effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Why modify or terminate contracts for critical supplies? Evaluating federal purchasing of PPE following COVID-19

Contract managers change contracts to respond to unforeseen events and to improve the likelihood of securing critical supplies. This study employs data from the General Service Administration’s SAM.gov Data Bank on over 8,000 contracts to examine the prevalence, reasons for, and timing of contract modifications and terminations in federal purchasing of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the first year of the COVID-19 public health crisis. Results show that modifications that transform transactional contracts to more collaborative designs were utilized for some of the highest-risk contracts and were associated with increased obligations, indicating that collaborative designs led to more purchasing of PPE. Competitive selection increased the likelihood of termination, the rate at which terminations occurred, and deobligations, indicating that the approach increased the costs of administration without improving the likelihood of securing supplies. A substantial portion of modifications and terminations occurred within the first forty days of delivery, revealing how contract management capacity was needed in the early stages of critical supply acquisition.

Project Spotlight: Nashville courthouse clears the air using special concrete

Innovation and resilience are at the heart of the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, a structure that leverages precast concrete to perfectly marry classic appeal with a contemporary aesthetic. For the Nashville, Tenn., courthouse, the U.S. General Services Administration sought a design approach reflective of the U.S. justice system. Thanks to the use of precast concrete panels, columns, and box beams, this was accomplished in several ways. The building’s facade is symmetrical, reflecting the need for balance in the courtroom. The panels are white, emphasizing the court system’s ideal state as a conveyor of truth and balance in U.S. society and government, and the building’s stately presence is a reminder of U.S. stability, a characteristic shared with the precast concrete elements that made it possible. GATE Precast was the precast producer for the project.

Progressive Collapse Evaluation of a Reinforced Concrete High-rise Building Designed According to Turkish Earthquake Code

In this study, a numerical progressive collapse response evaluation was performed on a 40-story high-rise building designed according to the Turkish Earthquake Code of 2018 (TEC-2018). The alternate path method specified in the General Services Administration of 2016 (GSA2016) and the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC 4-023-03) was used for the evaluation. A total of 18 scenarios were investigated for column and shear wall removals. In the cases where hinges were observed, the extent of damage was evaluated using the performance criteria given in the Turkish Seismic Code and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 41-17. In this study, the most damage was observed when the corner column was removed at the bottom floor, while the least damage was observed on the shear walls close to the center and core of the building. For all the scenarios evaluated, no collapse was observed. The study deduced that the high-rise building designed according to TEC-2018 showed sufficient resistance to progressive collapse.

Patient Cost Savings When Using Telehealth for Management of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Introduction: Telemedicine has been widely utilized in the healthcare marketplace since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last 3 years, virtual care has been widely employed in the care of patients with polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and myelofibrosis (MF) at Mayo Clinic. These rare disorders have few experts; therefore, telemedicine becomes an optimal approach for patients receive expert care even when they are not close to the medical center. 1 Additionally, telemedicine reduces financial burden for the patients. We aim to estimate potential cost savings to patients utilizing telemedicine. Methods: We identified patients with MPN seen at Mayo Clinic, Arizona who have had at least 2 visits (1 or more virtual visits) between March 2020 and June 2022. We extracted retrospective data from electronic medical records (EMR) including sociodemographic data, disease related data and number of visits - both virtual and in person - of the patients identified. The address recorded from the EMR was assumed to be the patient's location at the time of virtual visit. Driving distances were determined using zip codes in Google Maps and the patients were stratified into quartiles based on round trip travel distances. Patients in quartiles 1 through 3 were assumed to have driven while patients in quartile 4 were assumed to have traveled by plane. Patients in quartile 1 were assumed to have 1 travel day including the follow-up visit and no accommodation, patients in quartile 2 were assumed to have 2 travel days including the follow up visit and 1 night of accommodation whereas patients in quartiles 3 and 4 were assumed to have 2 travel days, 1 day for the follow up visit and 2 nights of accommodation. Mileage rate costs were based on US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) standard mileage rates for medical or moving purposes for 2021. 2 Owing to extreme variability in flight costs, flying costs were assumed to be equal to the driving costs. Per diem costs for accommodation and meals and incidentals were based on the US General Services Administration (GSA) 2021 rates for Phoenix 3 with the cost being 75% of the full per diem rate on traveling days via GSA formulaic approach. Results: One hundred and eight patients having 282 virtual visits were identified. Patients ranged from 30 - 87 years with the mean and median age of 65 years and 67 years respectively. Majority of the patients were female (62%) and white (98%) with gender distribution varying by distance. Descriptive statistics of the estimated out-of-pocket costs for patients by distance quartiles are summarized in Table 1a. Mean estimated cost savings ranged from $46.8 to $877.3 with the savings of $43.8 - $1372.2 at extremes. The total cost savings by all patients was $90,306.7. The breakdown of costs by category for each quartile is shown in Table 1b which shows that the majority of costs saved by patients in quartile 1 were due to avoiding costs spent on meals and incidentals (~90% of mean costs) whereas costs saved due to meals and incidentals for patients in quartile 4 were only ~16% of the mean costs. Conclusions: Our research highlighted telemedicine as a cost-effective approach for patients with MPN who received virtual care from March 2020 - June 2022. Study limitations included not weighing costs for childcare or accompanying individuals and using driving costs instead of flying costs, however, these considerations potentially underestimate the actual cost savings to the patient. Additionally, since the median age of this population was 65, we didn't include loss of wages to the analysis, which may further underestimate the costs. Despite concerns over billing, reimbursement, and state licensure, virtual care is being established as a critical part of medicine moving forward. 1. Doolittle, G.C. and A.O. Spaulding, Providing Access to Oncology Care for Rural Patients via Telemedicine. Journal of Oncology Practice, 2006. 2(5): p. 228-230. 2. Internal Revenue Service. Standard mileage rates for 2021. Available at: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates 3. US General Services Administration. Per diem rates. Available at: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates/per-diem-rates-results?action=perdiems_report&fiscal_year=2021&state=AZ&city=&zip=85054

Object positional uncertainty modelling in 2D viewpoint planning

Viewpoint planning of terrestrial laser scanning surveys is often guided by the level of accuracy, which is a measure of radiated point precision that does not account for all factors affecting positional uncertainty. We propose the use of modelled object precision for viewpoint planning in a methodology that rigorously combines the three sources of positional uncertainty: the observations; registration; and the observation distribution. Our method is demonstrated on three 2D datasets by analyzing object precision in comparison to United States General Services Administration accuracy criterion. The results show the method's ability to 1) represent the precision for all objects in the environment; 2) identify problem areas where the level of accuracy specification is not met; and 3) inform densification measures needed to improve the design. Detailed explanations of the causes of design weaknesses accompany the results to illustrate the challenges of scanning complex built environments and to highlight solutions.

Study of Progressive Collapse of Precast Steel Reinforced Concrete Building

Progressive collapse starts when any load-carrying elements of the building collapse during extreme loading, such as earthquakes, blasts, or fire. The Precast Steel Reinforced Concrete (PSRC) buildings comprise of precast RCC columns and steel girders. These structural elements are connected to form a moment-resisting frame and are susceptible to progressive collapse. However, this structural system has the advantage of inherent stiffness and damping during lateral loads and is also known for its construction efficiency, lightweight and low cost. Earlier investigations have shown PSRC systems useful in designing and constructing buildings while maintaining ample strength and high ductility during seismic incidents. Despite much previous research, the PSRC structural system's use is limited in high seismic regions. This paper aims to study the progressive collapse of the PSRC building using non-linear dynamic analysis and U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) guidelines during extreme loading. Two structures are studied to validate the performance of progressive collapse of PSRC and RCC structures. Four-story PSRC and RCC buildings are designed according to Indian Codes of practice. Design columns under provisions of the Indian reinforced concrete structures code, and beams are designed according to the Indian steel construction code. Comparative studies of progressive collapse for the two buildings are presented.

Using communication to boost vaccination: Lessons for COVID-19 from evaluations of eight large-scale programs to promote routine vaccinations

The COVID-19 pandemic has added new urgency to the question of how best to motivate people to get needed vaccines. In this article, we present lessons gleaned from government evaluations of eight large randomized controlled trials of interventions that used direct communications to increase the uptake of routine vaccines. These evaluations, conducted by the U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) before the start of the pandemic, had a median sample size of 55,000. Participating organizations deployed a variety of behaviorally informed direct communications and used administrative data to measure whether people who received the communications got vaccinated or took steps toward vaccination. The results of six of the eight evaluations were not statistically significant, and a meta-analysis suggests that changes in vaccination rates ranged from -0.004 to 0.394 percentage points. The remaining two evaluations yielded increases in vaccination rates that were statistically significant, albeit modest: 0.59 and 0.16 percentage points. Agencies looking for cost-effective ways to use communications to boost vaccine uptake in the field—whether for COVID-19 or for other diseases-may want to evaluate program effectiveness early on so messages and methods may be adjusted as needed, and they should expect effects to be smaller than those seen in academic studies.

A Review Paper on Progressive Collapse Analysis of Different Shell Structure: A Critical Review

Abstract: Progressive collapse occurs when one of the structural members fails, causing other structural members to fail. This leads to the collapse of all or part of the structure. Failure of a vertical structural member is the most common cause of progressive structural collapse Explosive charges, accidents or deliberate destruction can cause the column to fail and collapse. The analysis is performed by removing the columns at different locations one by one according to General Service Administration (GSA) guidelines, and then evaluating the radius and column DCR values. The results concluded that the column removed from the center is more vulnerable to progressive collapse.

Structural robustness of composite modular buildings: The roles of CFST columns and inter-module connections

This paper explores the important roles of concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns and inter-module connections on the structural robustness of composite modular buildings. Various numerical models were developed for concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns, semi-rigid frames, and conventional steel buildings under column removal scenarios to verify the validation of the present study. A numerical model of a 10-storey composite modular building was then developed, in which conventional hollow steel section columns were replaced by CFST columns to improve resistance against buckling of columns. To examine the behavior and force transmission mechanism of composite modular buildings under various module removal situations, nonlinear dynamic and nonlinear static pushover analyses was conducted. The introduction of CFST columns provided resistance against buckling of columns under high axial forces. It was observed that a pin-joint inter-module connection approach is a conservative approach to model the connections between modules. It was discovered that the dynamic amplification factor (DAF) recommended by the general service administration (GSA) for the nonlinear static analysis overestimates the displacement response of the modular building structure under module loss situations. The modular building was deemed safe against progressive collapse without excessive failure of the component members. However, progressive failure of the modular building under corner module removal scenario was observed in pushover analysis due to shear failure of horizontal inter-module connections. It was observed that the corner module removal scenario is more critical as compared to the column removal scenario for modular buildings. Based on the location of module removal, the DAF values of 1.65 and 1.2 were recommended for corner module removal and internal and edge module removal, respectively.

Comparative Study of Progressive Collapse Potential of Steel Moment Resisting Frame and Braced Frame

Progressive collapse is a situation where local failure of a primary structural component leads to the failure of adjoining members, which in turn leads to spread of failure resulting in the collapse of an entire structure or disproportionately large part of it. In this paper, the effectiveness of inverted V type bracings on progressive collapse resistance of steel building is presented. 4-storey moment resisting steel frame building is considered for the study. Progressive collapse analysis is carried out under ten different column and/or bracing removal scenario from the ground floor level by following the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA) guidelines. Linear Static and Linear Dynamic analysis is performed to evaluate progressive collapse potential of 4-storey steel building considered for the study using SAP2000 software. Alternate Path Method (APM) is used to determine the Demand Capacity Ratio (DCR) of selected beam, column and bracing members located in surrounding of removed column. From the analysis results in terms of DCR of beams and columns, it is observed that the addition of bracing members, reduces the risk of progressive collapse.

Notes on the African Burial Ground National Monument, New York City

Notes on the African Burial Ground National Monument, New York City Erich Kessel Jr. (bio) What does a national monument to a forgotten slave cemetery confer upon the history to which it refers? And what does the form of the monument itself do to how we are meant to grasp this history? In a germinal form, these questions occupied me as I approached the African Burial Ground National Monument, a structure that takes up about a quarter of a small block enclosed by Duane and Reade Streets in New York City amid a towering complex of federal administrative buildings. The monument sits atop a larger span of land that, following a 1697 law in the recently established Province of New York, became a burial plot for slaves and free blacks who had been banned from being interred alongside white parishioners.1 Andrea Frohne’s history of the site points to a 1735 map that marked the plot as the “Negro Burying Place,” reflecting its situation within the racial geography of Manhattan’s sprawling slave estate.2 After 1794, the burial ground was closed and within a century became a plot that would be occupied successively by a department store, a credit reporting agency, and finally a federal building—each erecting an architectural stage in a process of forgetting that transmuted slave society into a multicultural democratic space. Preparatory excavation for a new federal government structure in 1991 once again unearthed the racial history of the plot. The site’s 300-plus year history thus is an archive of this forgetting, and this is the problem that the monument seeks to redress. The monument project was set in motion when the site was named a National Historical Landmark in 1993, following a law signed by George H. W. Bush halting further construction on the plot after two years of protest over the destruction of what Black community members saw as sacred ground. In years following this new designation, researchers at Howard University partnered with General Services Administration (GSA) officials to conduct extensive archaeological research to attempt to reconstitute a history of the erstwhile Negro Burial Ground; their excavations suggested the presence of as many as 15,000 skeletal remains on the site. From this process, a total of 419 skeletal remains were exhumed, and later reinterred in a 2003 ceremony when [End Page E-47] the memorial site was officially dedicated. As an event that drew on West African funerary practices and traditional African religious sites, the ceremony was intended to re-sacralize the space, establishing it as a place of reflective contemplation. As the future of the site became a question at various levels of government, the nomenclature tied to the location shifted—from the “Negro Burial Ground” to the “African Burial Ground.” For Frohne, this shift marks the influence of pan-African and Afrocentric community organizations in the process of protecting the plot; the framing of the space more broadly was shaped by a desire for “a return to Africa (at times a homogenous one)” that could unite the varying arts, cultures, and spiritualties of the diaspora.3 Such a desire played a central role in the design competition run by the GSA for the creation of a monument. The proposal that won the competition was designed by Rodney Léon, a Haitian American architect, in association with Nicole Hollant-Denis and AARIS Architects. Through its visual and processual design, their plan for the site pursues one kind of affective relationship between the Black diaspora and Africa as a lost homeland, wherein the imagination and performance of a return to West Africa repairs an experience of absence, lack, and forgetting. Understanding the aesthetic potentialities of monumentality helps to illuminate how the architects recruited monumental form for the project of remembrance. Writing in early twentieth-century Vienna, the conservationist and art historian Alois Riegl offered a paradigmatic description of the monument. For him, the category defined “a work of man erected for the specific purpose of keeping particular human deeds or destinies (or a complex accumulation thereof) alive and present in the consciousness of future generations.”4 His is a distinctly anthropocentric definition of monumentality, and it also implies that...

Building Collapse: Factors and Resisting Mechanisms, a Review

All through the ages in all human civilizations men have been engaged in construction activity, not only to build their dwellings and house their activities, but also roads, bridges to facilitate means of transport, and communication etc. The main concern in this activity was to ensure safety and reduce the collapse of the buildings and other structures. But even after taking all precautions it is impossible to guarantee the safety and collapse because of several unforeseen reasons like faulty constructions, design errors, overloading, soil liquefactions, gas explosion, material degradation, terrorist attacks and economic factors are also contributing to the collapse. It is also uneconomical to design the structure for unforeseen events unless they have reasonable chance of occurrence. In order to ensure the safety and prevent collapse, many guidelines have been framed by local bodies and government authorities in many countries like United States Department of Defence (DOD), United States General Service Administration (GSA) and Euro-Codes in European Nations. Some other practices are followed to incorporate redundancies in the structure like detailing, ductile designs, tying of elements at particular locations, provision of hinges and inter connections. It is also to be admitted that full proof safe design structure for accidental events cannot be prepared and implemented as it is uneconomical and the chances of such occurrences are less. This paper reviews past case studies of collapse of structures with an aim to develop an understanding of collapse mechanism. This study will definitely help to bring about a detailed improvement in the design to maximize the quality of the construction at a minimal cost.