Energy Estimates of Progressive Floor Collapses and the World Trade Center Catastrophe
Abstract
The Simple Collapse Model of Bazant and Zhou is evaluated for a progressive floor collapse of a tall building. A sequence of energy estimates indexed by the collapsing floors is derived. Each of the estimates gives a sufficient condition to arrest the collapse at a given floor. The first estimate of this sequence has been stated by Bazant and Zhou and has been repeatedly cited later on. However, this estimate is not optimal in the sense that the following estimates give a weaker condition to arrest the collapse.
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