Enhancing building robustness through a fuse-based segmentation framework

The most widely used design approaches today for improving the robustness of buildings rely on improving continuity within the structural system to ensure that loads supported by failed components can be redistributed to the rest of the system. Although this is effective for small initial failures, it can increase the risk of disproportionate collapse after larger initial failures due to collapsing elements pulling down parts of the structure that would otherwise be unaffected. This form of continuity-enabled collapse propagation can be avoided by dividing a structure into different segments. However, completely separating parts of a building results in lower performance under operational conditions, against lateral loads, and after small initial failures. In fact, the advantages of both continuity and segmentation can be combined through a fuse-based segmentation approach in which predefined segment borders ensure connectivity after small initial failures but separate to isolate collapse after larger initial failures. To ensure that this approach is used effectively to improve the robustness of building structures, a design framework is proposed in this article to systematically consider relevant structural and geometric criteria in order to define suitable segmentation configurations for reinforced concrete and steel framed building structures. An application to a realistic case study is also presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in enhancing structural robustness. •Continuity is advantageous after small initial failures.•Segmentation is advantageous after large initial failures.•Fuse-based segmentation combines the advantages of continuity and segmentation.•Framework is proposed to define segmentation configurations that enhance robustness.•Obtained configurations can be used in risk-based assessments.