Collapse mechanism
Definition
The kinematic sequence of element failures that produced the observed final geometry of the collapse, reconstructed by investigators from wreckage patterns and structural analysis.
Related terms
- Alternate load path
- A route by which loads can be redistributed around a failed element without causing progressive collapse. Its presence or absence is central...
- As-built drawing
- A drawing that records what was actually constructed, as opposed to the approved design drawing. Discrepancies between the two are a common...
- Load path
- The route forces travel through a structure from their point of application to the ground. When one element fails, loads redistribute onto...
- Progressive collapse
- A failure mode in which local structural failure triggers a sequence of failures in adjacent members, resulting in collapse disproportionate to the...
- Tie-force method
- A prescriptive design approach requiring minimum tensile continuity across connections so that elements can hang or span around a failed support rather...
Explained in
- Structural Failure Investigation MethodologyThe kinematic sequence of element failures that produced the observed final geometry of the collapse, reconstructed by investigators from wreckage patterns and...