The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2009.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Abbott Galvão Sobreira Lopes, Isabel
Other Authors: Jerome J. Connor.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50625
_version_ 1826211749471191040
author Abbott Galvão Sobreira Lopes, Isabel
author2 Jerome J. Connor.
author_facet Jerome J. Connor.
Abbott Galvão Sobreira Lopes, Isabel
author_sort Abbott Galvão Sobreira Lopes, Isabel
collection MIT
description Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2009.
first_indexed 2024-09-23T15:10:50Z
format Thesis
id mit-1721.1/50625
institution Massachusetts Institute of Technology
language eng
last_indexed 2024-09-23T15:10:50Z
publishDate 2010
publisher Massachusetts Institute of Technology
record_format dspace
spelling mit-1721.1/506252019-04-11T04:03:47Z The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse Abbott Galvão Sobreira Lopes, Isabel Jerome J. Connor. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Civil and Environmental Engineering. Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 44). In recent years, concern has risen drastically regarding the suitability of structural design for blast resistance. Historic events have proven that buildings that are designed in compliance with conventional building codes are not necessarily able to resist extreme loads, particularly blast loads. While significant progress has been made towards the development of design guidelines for federal buildings according to threat level, comprehensive codes have not yet been devised for blast hardening of non-federal buildings. One of the most important considerations in the strength-based design of buildings is adequate protection against progressive collapse in any unforeseen event. In the past, this has been achieved to a limited extent through exterior barriers, which help thwart efforts to directly impact the building, and thus minimize damage. With the emergence of structural design for blast resistance, methodologies to inhibit progressive collapse can expand to not only comprise exterior components, but also the structural components themselves. This thesis outlines potential structural and architectural techniques to design and retrofit buildings for resistance to blast impact loads as well as progressive collapse. These considerations are then applied to the study of two well-known blast events, the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma, and the 2001 attack on the Pentagon. A comparison of the two cases reveals that the redundant and ductile design of the Pentagon provided considerable resistance to impact loads, and contributed greatly to impeding the onset of progressive collapse. (cont.) Several blast-resistant features found in the Pentagon were not present in the design of the Murrah Building, thereby increasing the vulnerability of the structure to damage and collapse. The development of design codes and guidelines for blast resistance presents a number of challenges. These challenges generally arise from the erratic nature of blast loads and the difficulty in standardizing design procedures for variable levels of threat. While it may be difficult to implement general guidelines and codes for blast resistance, existing knowledge of blast hardening techniques can be applied to the design of buildings on a risk-based, case-by-case basis. by Isabel Abbott Galvão Sobreira Lopes. M.Eng. 2010-01-07T21:02:55Z 2010-01-07T21:02:55Z 2009 2009 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50625 475695656 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 44 leaves application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Abbott Galvão Sobreira Lopes, Isabel
The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse
title The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse
title_full The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse
title_fullStr The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse
title_full_unstemmed The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse
title_short The design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast-induced progressive collapse
title_sort design and retrofit of buildings for resistance to blast induced progressive collapse
topic Civil and Environmental Engineering.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50625
work_keys_str_mv AT abbottgalvaosobreiralopesisabel thedesignandretrofitofbuildingsforresistancetoblastinducedprogressivecollapse
AT abbottgalvaosobreiralopesisabel designandretrofitofbuildingsforresistancetoblastinducedprogressivecollapse