AbstractThis study investigated the effect of catenary action on the progressive collapse potential of steel moment framed structures. Non‐linear static and dynamic analyses of three‐ and six‐story model structures with and without bracing were carried out following the alternate path method recommended by the General Services Administration 2003. According to the non‐linear static push‐down analysis results, the contribution of catenary action and the progressive collapse potential of structures increased as the number of story and the number of bay increased. The effect of catenary action increased significantly in braced frames, in which the movement of beam–column joints were fully restrained until the tensile capacity of beams located both sides of the removed column reached their maximum values. The non‐linear dynamic analyses showed that the maximum deflection caused by sudden removal of a column decreased when the catenary action was taken into account. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.