Chapter 12 Structural robustness

The design of a building to be robust is an essential part of good structural design. Nominally, buildings may be stable under normal actions but abnormal actions – such as accidental damage, unexpected structural movement or the effects of poor quality control in construction – can produce consequences that are disproportionate to the initial event. The design of buildings to be robust – to ensure that the extent of structural damage is in line with the scale of the assault – has been a central facet of UK design since the late 1960s, and has now been embedded in the Eurocodes. Similar, often more limited, measures have been implemented elsewhere around the world. This chapter explains the basis of design for structural robustness, gives practical guidance to the engineer undertaking a design against disproportionate collapse in accordance with the UK Building Regulations and Eurocodes, and discusses some of the issues that need to be considered when designing for robustness.