Steelwork Connections: The Robustness of Simple Connections; Verification of design methods for finp

The partial collapse of Ronan Point in 1968 alerted the construction industry to the problem of progressive collapse arising from a lack of positive attachment between principal elements in a structure. This resulted in amendments to both the Building Regulation and the UK’s steelwork design Code. Essentially, these changes take cognisance of this failure and require structures to have a minimum robustness to resist accidental loading. One method of achieving this is by tying all the principal elements of a structure together. This means that the beam-to-column connections of a steel frame must be capable of transferring a horizontal tying force (in a simple structure they must also be designed to transmit the vertical shear) in order to preserve the integrity of the structure and prevent progressive collapse in the event of accidental damage.

G.W. Owens and D.B. Moore