Lecture 38 Lateral Force Resisting Systems Braced Frames

Building and other structures subjected to lateral loads must have some method
of being stabilized or collapse will occur. This is particularly obvious for very
tall structures where the lateral forces are the most important design
consideration. There are many methods available for stabilizing structures, some
will be discussed below.

1. Moment-Resisting Connections:

This method involves constructing very rigid beam-to-column connections

that permit moment transfer across the joint. Monolithically-poured
reinforced concrete structures inherently have moment-resisting joints, but
steel and timber frames do not. A typical moment-resisting beam-to-
column steel-framed connection involves transferring horizontal loads
through the beam flanges directly to the column flanges by using angles
and column web stiffener plates as shown below. The analysis of the
connection is fairly complex. It is very labor-intensive and expensive to
construct and is not as good as other methods of stabilization.

Lecture 38 - Page 1 of 8
An elevation view of a frame analysis using moment-resisting connections
might look like the following:

Lecture 38 - Page 2 of 8
 2. Braced Frame:

In general, a braced frame consists of diagonal members used to resist

lateral loads. A braced frame may come in many varieties. Some
examples of braced frames are as follows:

X Brace K Brace Full Story Knee Brace

Least available space, Openings possible, Larger openings, more
greatest bending in least bending in floor bending in floor beams
floor beams beams

Lecture 38 - Page 3 of 8
 Example
GIVEN: The one-story steel-framed building below is subject to wind
loading as shown below. Diagonal steel rods (shown in RED) are used to
resist the lateral loads from the North-South winds and act in TENSION
ONLY.
REQUIRED:
1) Determine the tensile load on the tension rod, Fdiag
2) Determine the smallest diameter rod that can be used if the steel is
A36 (Fy = 36 KSI).

Leeward wall
North pressure = 21
PSF

Windward 13-0
wall pressure
= 29 PSF

20-0
70-0

Step 1 Determine TOTAL wind pressure in North-South direction:

Total wind pressure = Trib. Area x Pressure

= (70 x 13) x (29 PSF + 21 PSF)
= 45,500 lbs.

Lecture 38 - Page 4 of 8
 Step 2 Determine wind pressure P acting at elbow:

Elbow

P = Pressure on shaded area acting on elbow

= (Total wind pressure)
= (45,500 lbs.)
= 11,375 lbs.
= 11.4 kips

Step 3 Determine axial tensile load on diagonal brace, Fdiag:

20-0

11.4 kips

13-0

Figure 1

Lecture 38 - Page 5 of 8
 20-0

11.4 kips

This member is in
compression and is 13-0
assumed to be
inactive
Figure 2

20-0

11.4 kips

13-0

Figure 3 Ldiag = 23.9 ft.

The force in the diagonal member, Fdiag, can be determined by similar

triangles:

Fdiag Fhorz
=
Ldiag Lhorz

Fdiag 11.4 Kips

=
23.9 ft 20 ft

Fdiag = 13.6 kips

Lecture 38 - Page 6 of 8
Step 4 Determine minimum diameter of tension rod (considering yield on
gross area only):

Recalling from steel design, the allowable tensile load on gross

area, Pallow:

Pallow = 0.60(Fy)(Ag)

Rearranging to solve for gross area Ag and substituting Pallow = 13.6

kips:

13.6 Kips
Ag =
0.60( Fy )

13.6 Kips
Ag =
0.60(36 KSI )

Ag = 0.63 in2

Solving for diameter:

Acircle = ( Dia ) 2
4

Ag
Diameter =

4

0.63in 2
Diameter =

4

Diameter = 0.896 inch

Use 1 diameter A36 steel rod 1 > 0.896

Lecture 38 - Page 7 of 8
Multi-Story Brace Analysis:

The frame of a multi-story building using diagonal lateral bracing is

analyzed as a vertically-oriented truss as shown below. Forces in
the vertical, horizontal and diagonal members are added to forces
in those members obtained from a gravity load analysis for the
design of the member.

Lateral load analysis Gravity load analysis

Lecture 38 - Page 8 of 8