ABSTRACT
Explosive loading incidents have become serious problems that must be addressed frequently. Besides the immediate and localized blast effects, one must consider the serious consequences associated with progressive collapse that could affect people and property in an entire building. Progressive collapse occurs when a structure has its loading pattern or boundary conditions changed such that structural elements are loaded beyond their capacity and fail. The residual structure is forced to seek alternative load paths to redistribute the load applied. As a result, other elements may fail, causing further load redistribution.
