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**progressive collapse**
The term progressive collapse is defined as the collapse of all or a large part of a structure precipitated by damage or failure of a relatively small part of it. ("Disproportionate Collapse", Oct. 2011, 1) It is sometimes also called a disproportionate collapse, which is defined as a structural collapse disproportionate to the cause of the collapse. As the small structural element fails, it initiates a chain reaction that causes other structural elements to fail in a domino effect, creating a larger and more destructive collapse of the structure. A good example of progressive collapse is a house of cards; if one card falls near the top, it causes multiple cards to fall below it due to the impact of the first card
Massive damage and destruction on WTC Buildings 6 and 7 caused by the north WTC tower after the collapse on September 11, 2001.
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Introduction
Skyline Plaza is a large complex located in Baileys Crossroads, Virginia which includes eight apartment buildings, six office buildings, a hotel, and a shopping center. In the midst of construction on March 2, 1973, one apartment building (A4) and the parking garage adjoining it collapsed. The incident occurred at around 2:30 in the afternoon and resulted in the death of 14 construction workers and the injury of 34 others.
It is concluded that the improper removal of forms supporting the 23rd floor resulted in increased shear force around the columns. The recently poured concrete had not yet reached its full strength capacity and was unable to withstand these increased forces. Therefore, the trigger mechanism of the collapse was shear failure around a number of columns on the 23rd story. Without the support of these columns, other columns on that story were overstressed which ultimately led to the collapse of the entire 23rd floor slab onto the floor below. The increased loading on the 22nd floor from the weight of the collapsed floors above was too great and led to a progressive collapse all the way to the ground level. (Delatte 2009) Figure 1 shows the damage following the collapse. Circled numbers indicate floor levels and hexagons indicate column line locations.
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