ASI recently published a new white paper that shows how using its proprietary Extreme Loading® for Structures (ELS) software can save designers a significant amount in the weight of the structural system.
Read the performance-based design white paper, UFC Progressive Collapse: Material Cost Savings, that shows how you can save 20-30% in the weight of the structural system using ELS.
In the study ASI compares simplistic procedures which model only linear beam and column elements to more advanced procedures which model the nonlinear effects of all structural components (columns, beams, slabs, and reinforcement). ASI found that analysis using simplified finite element linear and nonlinear analysis suggested a significant increase in the weight of the steel frame is required to satisfy the UFC progressive collapse code requirements. Using more advanced analysis, like ELS shows that the original design required little to no increase in weight required.