Progressive-models method for evaluating interactive stability of steel box girders for bridges – Extension of progressive collapse method in ship structures

•A framework of progressive-models method (PMM) for evaluating interactive stability of steel bridges is proposed.•A detailed PMM including local buckling suitable for large-scale steel box girders is proposed and implemented using ANSYS-MATLAB. The verifications of the PMM are given by experiments and traditional finite element models.•The two-stage analysis strategy, namely, first analyzing stiffened plates using shell FE model, followed by analyzing the member via beam-column model, makes the PMM for steel box girders highly efficiently simulated and computational.