Critical Imperfections for Beam Bracing Systems
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 6
Abstract
Establishing the strength requirements for stability bracing generally requires large displacement analyses on imperfect systems. In computational studies on stability bracing, choosing the critical shape of the imperfection can be a difficult decision, particularly for beam bracing systems. There are a number of factors that affect the stability brace forces including the shape and magnitude of the imperfection, the distribution of the imperfection along the length, and the value of the moment at the location of the brace. To develop suitable bracing design provisions, it is necessary to determine the maximum brace forces that are likely to occur in typical applications. However, determining the shape and distribution of the imperfection that produces the largest brace forces can be complicated. This paper studies the effect of different imperfection schemes on the magnitude of the stability brace forces. Results are presented that demonstrate the impact of several imperfection parameters on the bracing behavior and recommendations are made for selecting the critical imperfection shape that maximizes the stability brace forces for beam bracing systems.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank the Texas Department of Transportation for funding the research presented in this paper. Thanks also go to Professor Joseph Yura for his comments and suggestions related to the manuscript.
References
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). (2000). “Code of standard practice for steel buildings and bridges.” Chicago.
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). (2001). “Load and resistance design specification for structural steel buildings.” Chicago.
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). (1999).
ANSYS. (2000). Finite element program users manual, Version 5.7, ANSYS, Inc., Houston, Pa.
Helwig, T. A., and Yura, J. A. (1999). “Torsional bracing of columns.” J. Struct. Eng., 125(5), 547–555.
Wang, L. (2002). “Cross-frame and diaphragm behavior for steel bridges with skewed supports.” PhD Dissertation, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Houston, Houston.
Winter, G. (1960). “Lateral bracing of columns and beams.” Trans. Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 125, 809–825.
Yura, J. A. (2001). “Fundamentals of beam bracing.” Eng. J., American Institute of Steel Construction, 1st Quarter, 11–26.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 21, 2003
Accepted: Nov 12, 2004
Published online: Jun 1, 2005
Published in print: Jun 2005
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Brian Uy
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.