“REVIEW OF PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE RESEARCH”

Abstract

Progressive collapse studies are of great importance for structural design and review as they allow the identification of critical elements in the failure mechanism of a structure under a given external load. Such types of failure start with a local damage which extension increases, up to the collapse of the whole structure. Lattice transmission towers and associated transmission line systems are an important infrastructure in modern society. In the period from 1996 to 2017, 523 electrical transmission towers failed by these meteorological events in Cuba, hence the importance of studying the collapse mechanism of these structural typologies against the action of the wind. In this paper, the most recognized methods in the literature for the studies of progressive collapse failure of structures are described, and special emphasis is placed on metal lattice towers. The Alternative Path Load (APL) method is identified as the most appropriate and used in lattice tower structures.