Building Structure & Types of Collapse

STRUCTURE ELEMENTS
Columns
vertical structural members of a building

Beams
horizontal structural members of a building

Combination of columns and beams form the frame of the building

STRUCTURE ELEMENTS
A beam is supported by one of three methods
cantilever beam - supported or anchored at one end only

continuous beam - supported at both ends and at the center

simple beam - supported at both ends

STRUCTURE ELEMENTS (cont)

Wall (load bearing)
wide column carry the dead weight of building

Floor
horizontal elements for creating useable space

STRUCTURAL BUILDING TYPES

Unframed Building

Partially Framed

Fully Framed

Monolithic Building

BUILDING MATERIALS
Timber
commonly used in early 19th century

Brick
usually in columns and walls

Stone
older buildings

BUILDING MATERIALS (cont)

Reinforced concrete
structural concrete with steel reinforcement

Structural Steel
facilitate quick erection of frame

LOAD
Loads = forces acting upon a structure Dead Load
weight of building itself and equipment permanently attached eg. walls, floors, columns, girders

a. concentrated load b. distributed load

LOAD (cont)
Live Load
any load other than dead load buildings content e.g. furniture, humans

Axial Load
force that passes thru the center of a structure most efficient way by which a load can be transmitted thru a structural support like a column or bearing wall can withstand greatest load

LOAD (cont)
Eccentric Load (off-centered)
off-centre, perpendicular to plane loading when structural elements shifted slightly common in partial collapsed or damaged buildings

Torsional Load (twisting)

load that creates a twisting stress on a structural members

Both can cause a collapse

STRESS
Stress = force exerted upon a structural member that strains or deforms its shape Compression
a force pressing or squeezing a structure together

 Tension

STRESS (cont)

stress placed on a structural member by a pull of forces causing extension

Steel is strong in compressive and tensile strength Concrete is strong in compressive but weak in tensile strength Rope is strong in tensile strength & has no compressive strength

TYPES OF COLLAPSE PATTERNS

Lean over
a wood-frame building can collapse to one side

Lean to (Supported)
support at one end of structure member gave way, and that end collapse triangle shape void

TYPES OF COLLAPSE PATTERNS (cont)

Cantilever Collapse (Unsupported Lean to)
unstable support at one end of horizontal member gave way, but that end is suspended secondary collapse likely

TYPES OF COLLAPSE PATTERNS (cont)

V-shaped Collapse
integrity of horizontal member fails due to excessive load collapse of a floor at the center of the floor beam void at either ends large scale or localised

TYPES OF COLLAPSE PATTERNS (cont)

Pancake Collapse
when floor beams pull loose or collapse at both ends small voids created by strong supporting objects between floors extensive searching use of natural opening e.g. stairwell provide quick access

EXAMPLES OF PANCAKE COLLAPSE

TYPES OF COLLAPSE PATTERNS (cont)

Curtain Fall Collapse
occurs when a masonry wall (stone wall) drops like a falling curtain cut loose at the top

Chain Reaction Collapse

excessive impact loading caused by collapse of higher floors resulting in failure of lower floors

Inward/Outward Collapse
wall breaks apart horizontally rotational collapse

TYPES OF COLLAPSE PATTERNS (cont)

90 Collapse
failure of bottom of vertical support, causing the element to fall straight out and the top striking the floor similar to a falling tree

EARTHQUAKE COLLAPSE PATTERNS

6th floor of a 8-story high office building collapsed. A high rise building near the damaged building is hardly affected.

This 2500-car-capacity parking structure, a 1991 addition to the Cal State University - Northridge campus, suffered partial collapse in the intense shaking of the Northridge earthquake. A close-up of of this entrance to the parking structure shows the closely spaced fractures in the reinforced concrete columns which allowed "bending" of the outer wall

MORE PICTURES

Buckling of freeway support columns under the Simi Valley Freeway at the north end of the San Fernando Valley. This buckling shows the structural failure produced by high vertical acceleration. Examples of ground floor collapse due to inadequate design in vertical support

POOR BUILDING RENOVATION & URBAN DECAY

Gravity loading cause collapse of vertical support due to:
inadequate design overloading reduction in capacity due to age, corrosion or nonengineering alteration

May occur after a building that suffered an initial collapse left standing

WARNING SIGNS OF STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE

Movement in floor or roof Sponginess Sagging or bulging walls Columns and walls out of plumb Beams twisted out of alignment Cracks appearing Creaking and groaning noises Unable to close doors and windows

VOIDS
Spaces created when building or structure collapses May contain trapped victims Depend on:
type of collapse presence of large or heavy objects

STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE HAZARDS

Ask these questions before proceeding with rescue:
structure? occupancy? HAZMAT? storage area? Adjacent structures affected? Utilities affected and isolated?

5 types of structural collapse hazards

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Examples:
chemicals dust radioactive materials biological hazards pressure cylinders asbestos

Seek information

SURFACE HAZARDS
Examples:
rough terrain moving and falling debris sharp objects flooding holes in floor hanging objects

Personal protection Movement with care

BELOW DEBRIS HAZARDS

Examples:
flooded basement oxygen deficient atmospheres toxic environment

Clear egress Ventilation

DAMAGED UTILITIES
Examples:
live electrical wires ruptured gas lines broken water mains broken sewer systems

Isolate as early as possible Dont assume, always check

STRUCTURAL STABILITY
Constantly monitored and reviewed Shore damaged structures before entering and commencing S&R Eyes and ears open

CONCLUSION
Understanding stability of collapsed/partially collapsed structure is an ART and SCIENCE:
intuition logical assessments

NEVER be hasty when operating in collapsed buildings Make safe before proceeding