NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a

braced, non-sway frame

SN028a-EN-EU

NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey
building for design as a braced, non-sway frame
Presents a simple procedure for the selection of bracing member sizes in order to ensure
that the frame is a non-sway frame and that first order analysis may be used for the
structure, without any amplification of horizontal loads.

Contents
1. Introduction 2
2. Scope 3
3. Design procedure 3
Appendix A Background and parametric study 5

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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a
braced, non-sway frame
SN028a-EN-EU

1. Introduction
Vertical bracing is designed to resist wind load plus equivalent horizontal forces given by
5.3 of EN 1993-1-1. First order frame analysis can be used for braced frames, provided that
the vertical bracing provides sufficient stiffness. For first order analysis to be applicable,
EN 1993-1-1 5.2.1 requires that
cr
10 for the whole frame, and therefore for each storey
of a multi-storey building.
Simple guidance is given in Sections 2 and 3 for the selection of bracing members so that
sufficient stiffness is provided for such analysis to be valid. This allows the designer to avoid
the complexities of second order analysis, or of allowing for second order effects by
amplification of first order effects.
The bracing arrangements considered by this study are presented in Figure 1.1.

H
H
H
H
H
1
4
3
2
5
b

H H
H
F
Ed
H
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
b
b
b
b




At each floor level, H
i
=0,025 V
Ed,i
where V
Ed,i
is the total design load applied at that floor level

Figure 1.1 Practical arrangements for multi-storey bracing: (a) cross bracing, only tension in
diagonal participation; (b) diagonal bracing; (c) horizontal K bracing; (d) vertical
K bracing
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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a braced, non-sway frame
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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a
braced, non-sway frame
SN028a-EN-EU

2. Scope
The design procedure presented below was derived for buildings with the following
limitations:
Height not exceeding 30 m
Angle of bracing members between 15
o
and 50
o
to the horizontal.
The bracing arrangements shown in Figure 1.1.
Note that the procedure does not depend on the steel grade.
3. Design procedure
Select one of the bracing arrangements shown in Figure 1.1
Check that, in the columns and beams of the system to be braced, the axial stresses
calculated on the gross cross-section due to resistance of the horizontally applied loads of
2,5% of vertical applied loads alone do not exceed 30 N/mm
2
. If the stresses are higher
in the columns, either larger sections must be chosen, or the spacing of the columns, b
in Figure 1.1, must be increased (but not exceeding 12m). If the stresses in the beams are
larger, either a larger section must be chosen or the bracing arrangement must be
changed.
Size the bracing, by conventional design methods, to resist horizontal applied loads of
2,5% of vertical applied loads, ensuring that axial stresses on the gross cross-section of
the bracing do not exceed the values given in Table 3.1. For intermediate floors, either
the stress limits in Table 3.1 for the top floor should be used or a higher stress may be
found by linear interpolation between the stress limits according to the height of the
bottom of the storey considered.
If the externally applied horizontal loads plus the equivalent horizontal forces from
imperfections plus any other sway effects calculated by first-order analysis exceed 2,5%
of the vertical loads, check the resistance of the bracing to these loads. The stress
limitations in Table 3.1 should not be applied when checking this load combination.
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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a
braced, non-sway frame
SN028a-EN-EU

Table 3.1 Limiting stress on the gross cross-section of the bracing members a building of a
maximum height of 30 m, storey height 3m, with 5 m b 12 m and with a
maximum axial stress on the gross cross-section of the columns and beams of 30
N/mm
2
due to horizontal load = 0,025V
Stress limit on the gross cross-section of the bracing member
due to horizontal forces equal to 0,025V
Angle of bracing to
the horizontal
Top storey Top storey Bottom storey
(degrees)
of 30 m building of 20 m building of building
65 N / mm
2
80 N / mm
2
100 N / mm
2
15 <20
70 N / mm
2
95 N / mm
2
135 N / mm
2
20 <30
55 N / mm
2
110 N / mm
2
195 N / mm
2
30 <40
75 N / mm
2
130 N / mm
2
225 N / mm
2
40 50
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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a
braced, non-sway frame
SN028a-EN-EU

Appendix A Background and parametric study
For a given storey, the criterion for non-sway may be expressed as follows:
10
Ed H, Ed
Ed
cr
>

h
V
H

where
H
Ed
is the (total) design value of the horizontal reaction at the bottom of the storey to the
horizontal loads and fictitious horizontal loads
V
Ed
is the total design vertical load on the structure at the bottom of the storey

H,Ed
is the horizontal displacement at the top of the storey, relative to the bottom of the
storey (due to the horizontal loads)
h is the storey height
Traditionally, bracing has been sized to resist horizontal forces of 2,5% of vertical forces,
without any direct consideration of frame flexibility. The resulting structures have proved
satisfactory. The analysis presented in Appendix A therefore takes this percentage as a
starting point and investigates the limitations on overall bracing and frame design to ensure
that
cr
10,0.

H,Ed
is caused both by the shear deflection of the braced panels and by the curvature of
building acting as a vertical cantilever.
It is assumed that the component of stress in the columns and beams due to participation with
the bracing is 30 N/mm
2
at every storey.
The horizontal deflection then depends on the spacing of the columns, h, the angle and the
stress in the bracing members. Thus, the criterion for first order analysis may be expressed as
a limit to the stress in the bracing, for a given angle of the bracing members to the horizontal.
The deformation of a braced panel under horizontal loading is shown diagrammatically in
Figure A.1.
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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a
braced, non-sway frame
SN028a-EN-EU



h
b
d

1

d
h
Figure A.1 A braced panel subject to horizontal load
In the above braced panel, the deflection of the top of the left hand column, relative to the
bottom of the column, is given by:
3 2 1 Ed H,
+ + =
where:

1
is the horizontal deflection at the top right hand column, due to the strains in the
diagonal bracing member and in the right hand column due to applied loads H = 0,025V

tan
cos
tan
cos
tan
cos
c d
c
d
h
d
E
h
E
d
h
d
+

= +

= + =

2
is the horizontal deflection from the strain in the beam due to applied loads H = 0,025V
b
E
b
b
b

= =

3
is the horizontal displacement between the top and the bottom of the columns of each
storey due to the bending deformation of the frame acting as a vertical cantilever
resisting the applied loads H = 0,025V
For the bottom storey,
3
=0 (giving the total deflection =
1
+
2
)
h
b
L
E
h
b
L
2 2
tf c tf
c 3

= = For the top storey,
where:

d
,
c
and
b
are the axial strains on the gross cross-sections of the diagonals, the columns and
the beams respectively due to the applied horizontal load H = 0,025V
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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a
braced, non-sway frame
SN028a-EN-EU

is the angle of the diagonal from the horizontal
d is the length of the diagonal
h is the storey height
b is the spacing of the columns in the braced bay as shown in Figure 1.1
L
tf
is the height of the top floor ( =overall building height 1 storey height)
E is the modulus of elasticity ( =210 000 N/mm
2
)

d
,
c
and
b
are the axial stresses on the gross cross-sections of the diagonals, the columns
and the beams respectively due to the applied horizontal load, H =2,5%V
The calculation of this effect for the top storey means that value is conservative for lower
storeys.
A parametric study was carried out to determine the limitations on column and bracing
stresses to ensure that
cr
is greater than 10 for H
Ed
=0,025V
Ed
. It had the following scope:
All grades of steel.
Angle of bracing members is between 15
o
and 50
o
to the horizontal.
Height of building 30 m for a typical loading of 8,0 kN/m
2
.
Storey height 3m.
Spacing of the columns in the braced bay is in the range of 5 m to 12 m.
Stresses in the columns from horizontal forces do not exceed 30 N/mm
2
.
It was based on the following assumptions:
Horizontal forces are 2,5% of the vertical forces.
Elastic analyses of a pin jointed frame.
The angle of the bracing and the storey height is the same in all storeys.
Partial factors on resistance are
M0
=1,0 and
M1
=1,0.
The limit on the axial stress on the gross cross-section of the bracing is given in Table 3.1 for
the building height, column spacing and axial stresses on the gross cross-sections of beams
and columns.
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NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multi-storey building for design as a
braced, non-sway frame
SN028a-EN-EU

Quality Record
RESOURCE TITLE
NCCI: Initial sizing of vertical bracing for a multistorey building for
design as a braced, non-sway frame
Reference(s)
ORIGINAL DOCUMENT
Name Company Date
Created by Alena Ticha SCI
Technical content checked by Charles King SCI 6/7/06
Editorial content checked by
Technical content endorsed by the
following STEEL Partners:

1. UK G W Owens SCI 10/7/06
2. France A Bureau CTICM 12/7/06
3. Sweden B Uppfeldt SBI 10/7/06
4. Germany C Mller RWTH 10/7/06
5. Spain J Chica Labein 19/7/06
Resource approved by Technical
Coordinator
G W Owens SCI 16/01/07
TRANSLATED DOCUMENT
This Translation made and checked by:
Translated resource approved by:


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