Experimental and numerical study on progressive collapse of composite steel-concrete frames

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the progressive collapse behavior of composite steel-concrete frames under various column removal scenarios. This study involves testing two two-bay, two-story composite frames featuring CFST columns and profiled steel decking composite slabs. Two removal scenarios, involving the corner column and middle column, are examined. The paper reports on the overall and local failure modes, vertical force-deformation responses, and strain development observed during testing. Findings indicate that structural failure initiates due to fracture and local buckling of the steel beam. Moreover, the collapse resistance and ductility of the middle column removal scenario surpass those of the corner column removal scenario. Subsequent numerical analysis reveals the significant contribution of the composite slab to collapse resistance and capacity. Additionally, it is found that horizontal boundary conditions notably influence the collapse resistance in the middle column removal scenario only. Finally, the paper proposes a simplified calculation method for collapse resistance, which yields satisfactory predictions.