STANDARDS SPECIAL

and BRACING BRACED

PRACTICES FRAMES

More specific description of all applicable design and detailing criteria is given in the
respective DM sections on brace member design (HSS Braces, 3-PL Braces).

D1. Required Brace Connection Strength

The design force for the bracing member connections is defined as the largest load
that can be transferred to the brace by the system, but need not greater than the
tensile strength of the brace itself (defined as Ry Fy Ag). The intention of this provision
is to assure that the non-ductile failure mechanisms, such as gusset buckling or brittle
connection weld failure, do not take place before ductile failure mechanisms develop
somewhere in the system. However, as the “maximum force that can be transferred to
the system” is not clarified by the Seismic Provisions it is commonly interpreted as the
Amplified Seismic Force. This will produce reasonably sized connections even when
the bracing diagonals are oversized due to serviceability, esthetics, or other reasons.

The following is used to calculate the required strength of the brace (“design load”):

(a) Bracing Member Tensile Strength

Unless the SCBF struts, columns and connections are over-designed, this
criterion will not govern design of the brace connections.

Ru1 = Ry Fy Ag yielding (Equation D—1)

Ru1 = Fu Ae U rupture (Equation D—2)

where
Ry = 1.1 for 50 ksi steel
U = reduction coefficient
Ag = gross area, in2
Ae = effective sectional area, in2

(b) Column Axial (Compression) Strength

The required strength for the bracing member connections may be limited by the
axial compression strength of the column:

Ru2 = Fac 1.7 Agc / sin  (Equation D—3)

where
Agc = gross cross-sectional area of column, in2
Fac = allowable axial compression stress for column calculated at
Fy=Ry Fy, in ksi
 = brace angle to horizontal, degrees

VP DESIGN MANUAL Section: 5.1.1.S

BUILDINGS, 12/01/03 Rev. 0 Page 3 of 8
INC.