Spanish researchers have designed a self-isolating mechanism for structural damage that will help high-rise buildings avoid the phenomenon of progressive collapse.
The research team from ICITECH Institute at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) has developed a special method aimed at constructing buildings with high durability, as reported by Interesting Engineering on May 16. Inspired by the ability of lizards to shed their tails when attacked, the researchers have devised a method that could serve as a final protective layer to prevent catastrophic skyscraper collapses.
Champlain Towers building in Florida collapsed in June 2021. (Photo: Engineering News Record).
Lizards employ a self-defense mechanism that allows them to escape the clutches of predators by shedding one or more of their appendages. Their tails consist of several segments, each serving as a potential point of detachment. Current building designs focus on redistributing loads in the event of damage to structural components. This method is effective for minor initial damage. However, when significant damage occurs, this approach may increase the risk of progressive collapse. Recent incidents, such as the collapse of Champlain Towers in the U.S. in 2021 or the Abadan disaster in Iran in 2022, stemmed from severe damage.
The ICITECH-UPV research team sought to overcome this limitation by introducing the “fuse structure.” They developed a new principle for constructing buildings that can withstand threats such as flooding, landslides, aging, or even poor maintenance. This principle is akin to protecting an electrical system from overload by connecting different parts of the grid through fuses, according to Nirvan Makoond, a member of ICITECH-UPV and co-author of the study.
The new design maintains the structural stability under normal operating conditions. However, when damage is inevitable, the research team’s design prevents the risk of total collapse and protects the remaining parts of the building, reducing the scale of losses while keeping construction costs negligible.
To test the design in practice, the research team constructed a full-scale building using precast concrete. When significant damage occurred, they observed that the damaged area was isolated, preventing the entire building from collapsing. According to Jose M. Adam, co-author of the study, the application of this new design will help avoid collapse disasters, protect lives, and minimize economic damage. The research results were published in detail on May 15 in the journal Nature.
