Effect of Storey Number on Vierendeel Mechanism in Progressive Collapse of RC Frame Structures
Abstract
Progressive collapse of reinforced concrete (RC) structures can lead to severe casualties and extensive property damage. Hence, reliable evaluation of structural resistance against such collapse is essential. This study numerically examines how the number of storeys influences the activation and contribution of the Vierendeel mechanism in RC frames subjected to corner column removal. For this purpose, finite element models of multi-storey RC frames were developed using LS-DYNA and validated against experimental tests conducted by the authors. The validated models were then used to analysis frames ranging from one to six storeys. The results show that in multi-storey substructures, additional plastic hinges form at beam ends adjacent to the removed column in upper storeys (second to top), as well as at the lower end of the corner column in the first storey. Compared to the single-storey substructure (where no Vierendeel mechanism develops), the average ultimate resistance per storey in multi-storey cases increased by 14.1% to 18.3%. However, the contribution of the Vierendeel mechanism to the overall ultimate resistance slightly decreased as the number of stores increased.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Peyman Beiranvand, Farzad Lari, Majid Alipour, Mosayeb Maleki
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