ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT This paper presents a design-oriented robustness index for the evaluation of structural integrity prone to progressive collapse. Many definitions for structural robustness have been proposed in the past decades. Usually they are associated to the concepts of redundancy, fragility, vulnerability, and resilience. However, the existing robustness indices still lack practical meaning when it comes to performance-based design. The paper discusses the basic requirements for a robustness index in structural design against progressive collapse. A new robustness index is then proposed from a system perspective and validated by Daniels systems where the robustness is clearly defined. The proposed index has important design implications for the progressive collapse analysis of structures.
