Controlled demolition, collapse computer simulation, high-rise buildings, progressive collapse.

The prediction of the collapse stages of a structure, caused by special explosives, used for controlled demolition, or under any extreme loadings, such as blast has been of interest to designers and structural engineers in recent decades. In this article, the collapse stages of high rise RC buildings with moment resisting frames, due to removal of certain members of the structure, destroyed intentionally or accidentally, has been simulated by the aid of a developed computer program. The computer software, to simulate the process of collapse, is able to carry out sequential analysis, assuming an elastoplastic behavior for materials. After each analysis, plastic hinges, formed in structural members, are identied. Structural elements which satisfy failure criterion are removed and then the geometry of the structure is updated. The deformed shape of the structure, in each stage of collapse after removing each destroyed members, is visualized. The collapse stages of three selected buildings, introduced in previously published papers, investigated and the computer software is veried. In a dierent case study the process of the collapse of a 20 story building has been predicted for four scenarios of controlled demolition. It is shown that the software can be used to predict progressive collapse of the structures.