VULNERABILITY OF STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS .2. FAILURE SCENARIOS

A theory of structural vulnerability is developed, in two linked paper s, initially for two dimensional frame structures. The purpose of the theory is to enable the identification of the most vulnerable parts of a structural system so that they may be suitably protected and monito red. In Part 1 a graph model was used to analyse various load paths an d loops within a structure based on the new concept of a structural ri ng. In this paper a deterioration hierarchy of structural rings shows all possible ways in which a structural ring can deteriorate into a me chanism. A failure scenario is described in terms of deteriorating eve nts and a measure of the effort required, the damage demand, introduce d. Three particular types of failure scenario are discussed and relate d to the concept of robustness.