Load resistance of masonry infilled panels for steel frames to mitigate progressive collapse caused by middle column missing

The load resistance of masonry infilled panels in upgrading the steel frame to mitigate progressive collapse was quantified experimentally and analytically in the current study. Four 1/2-scale steel subframes were tested, including two bare subframes without infilled panels for reference and two infilled subframes to assess the effects of infilled panels. Two types of connection were investigated in current study: welded connection and top and seat angle connection. The test result showed that infilled panels provided a greater improvement in initial stiffness and peak load of the steel subframe with top and seat angle connections compared to the infilled steel subframe with welded connections. On the premise that the connections retained their integrity, the strut mechanism of infilled panels could change from a diagonal strut mechanism forming in the whole panel to an off-diagonal strut mechanism formed in the remaining intact corner region with increasing vertical deflection. A novel equivalent multi-strut modelling method was proposed for the prediction of the infilled panel behavior with an acceptable level of accuracy. This model incorporates the shifts in the position of plastic hinges, which were influenced by the specific types of connection and the load-resisting mechanisms of the infilled panel. The analysis result demonstrated that the model slightly overestimated the load resistance of infilled panels within the steel frame with simple connections and slightly underestimated the load resistance of infilled panels within steel frame with semi-rigid or rigid connections.