Performance assessment of steel parking structure columns subjected to frontal collision based on reduced vehicular models

•First simulate and validate the actual scenario where the vehicle collision with the steel parking structure.•Proposed a simplified model for the analysis of vehicular collision.•Improvement of the impact-resistance formula in Eurocode 1.•Give indicators of performance assessment for evaluating the damaged column. Taking the effects of vehicles into consideration can more realistically reflect the scenario that the steel parking structure column is subjected to collisions. To achieve this objective, a new reduced vehicular model is proposed by introducing an elastoplastic spring. In the collision, the model can reflect the characteristics of the stiffness response and energy absorption. Based on the validated numerical methods and models, parametric analyses of the collisions between the parking structure and vehicle are conducted. The influence of the impact velocity, the additional carrying mass and the types of the parking structure on the energy absorption of vehicles are studied. Furthermore, the formula in Eurocode 1 for the impact-resistance design is improved by introducing the vehicular energy absorption ratio. The improved formula can be utilized to calculate the impact resistance of the parking structure column with more reasonable results. Finally, the impact-resistance performance of the structure is assessed in terms of three indicators: appearance, serviceability and capability. According to the results, impact-resistance measures and design suggestions are given. For engineering designers, a lower parking structure usually has a smaller size column, which leads to a higher risk of collapse under the collision. The designer should pay more attention to the design of their impact resistance.