Sensitivity analysis of steel buildings subjected to column loss

In this study, the sensitivity of design parameters of steel buildings subjected to progressive collapse is studied. To this end, design parameters such as yield strengths of beams, columns, and braces, live load, elastic modulus, and damping ratio were considered as random variables. The Monte Carlo simulation, the Tornado Diagram analysis, and the First-Order Second Moment method were applied to deal with the uncertainties involved in the design parameters. The analysis results showed that among the design variables beam yield strength was ultimately the most important design parameter in the moment-resisting frame buildings while the column yield strength was the most important design parameter in the dual system building. Sensitivity of the vertical displacement to uncertain member strength showed that progressive collapse mechanisms of the moment-resisting frame buildings and the dual system building completely differed due to different patterns of the vertical load redistribution. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.