Author: Fried, A N;Marrocchino, E;Bradsell, C;Roberts, John J
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Fried, A N;Marrocchino, E;Bradsell, C;Roberts, John J
The Structural Engineer, Volume 83, Issue 12, 2005
The events in recent years of total or partial destruction of large buildings as a result of accidental abnormal loadings have created a new challenge for the structural engineering community. The challenge is to ensure that catastrophic collapse of structures can be avoided while designing the structure primarily for normal loadings and economy. The principle is based on utilising the ultimate strength of the structure and its ability in redistributing abnormal loads so that any accidental damage will not be disproportionate to the cause. This paper examines the current design approaches available to the designers, principally the recent Building Regulations in UK and in particular elaborating the mechanism of tying approach in fulfilling this goal. Also common approaches found in the US are briefly reviewed. Medhi M. Khabbazan, BSc, MSc, PhD, CEng, MIStructE, FASCE Kellogg Brown & Root UK Ltd. (KBR)