Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Building Engineering, cilt.115, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Progressive collapse, a chain reaction of failures initiated by the loss of a key load-bearing component, poses severe risks to reinforced-concrete (RC) buildings under blasts, earthquakes, or accidental overloads. This study investigates how slab type (two-way solid vs. two-way ribbed) and beam depth influence the progressive-collapse resistance of multistorey RC structures. A six-story war-damaged RC building, where four ground-floor columns were destroyed, was first analysed to validate the numerical modelling. Field surveys recorded a vertical displacement of approximately 130 mm, while the Applied Element Method (AEM)–based Extreme Loading for Structures (ELS) software predicted 120–132 mm, confirming strong agreement and compliance with UFC 4-023-03 criteria. Following validation, a parametric study was conducted on 9-, 12-, and 15-story RC buildings subjected to three critical column-removal scenarios: (1) corner-and-penultimate removal, (2) three exterior mid-span removals, and (3) three interior column removals. Beam depths of 500, 600, and 700 mm were examined for each slab configuration. Results show that ribbed slabs provided superior robustness, maintaining stability even with the smallest beam depth, while solid slabs required depths ≥700 mm to prevent collapse. Ribbed slabs also exhibited greater energy dissipation through catenary and tensile-membrane action, producing smaller displacements and plastic rotations within UFC rotation limits. The study's novelty lies in integrating real-world validation with a systematic AEM-based parametric analysis across multiple building heights and failure scenarios. The results provide actionable guidance for performance-based design strategies to enhance the progressive-collapse resilience of mid-to high-rise RC buildings.