ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a critical review of case studies in an effort to identify the respective effectiveness of robustness design measures. A series of case studies from buildings subject to severe structural damage are considered. Some of the buildings featured survived the extreme loading whilst others suffered progressive collapse disproportionate to the initial structural damage. An attempt will be made to understand which types of building posses high levels of robustness and which forms of construction are potentially vulnerable to collapse subsequent to minor structural damage. Strategies for damage prevention depend on the level of threat imposed by impact and explosions and this chapter aims to assist in the selection of an appropriate design strategy by rating the different design approaches using a simple 5 star rating system. This classification system is made deliberately simple and is intended to assist engineers in their selection of appropriate robustness strategies should severe loading from blast or impact be identified as a significant possibility during the lifetime of the building. This chapter is of interest to engineers faced with the challenge of designing structures at risk from vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED’s) or potential damage caused by vehicle impact or severe accidental natural gas explosions.
