Linear and nonlinear equivalency factors for progressive collapse analyses

In recent years, progressive collapse as an engineering problem has become a topic of interest due to the observed performance of some structures following terrorist attacks. Due to its highly nonlinear and dynamic nature, rigorous analysis to resist collapse is not common in design offices. Current guidelines by the federal government and US military have addressed this issue and have provided simplified static analysis methods to help mitigate collapse. Past research, however, has suggested that these existing guidelines may be too conservative. This research study focuses on the estimation of equivalency factors for static linear and static nonlinear alternate load path analyses that can be used to achieve the same level of safety as computed from dynamic nonlinear analyses.