BRACING SYSTEMS OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

FUNCTIONS OF BRACING SYSTEMS

The transversal frames are not able to take loads that act perpendicular to this plan. The
stiffness of the whole structure is insured with longitudinal ties between the plane structural
elements.
The bracing system insures the spatial character and a greater stiffness. Their roles are:

a spatial collaboration between the transversal frames;

small deformations of the structure under horizontal transversal actions;

stability during the assembling stage;

diminish the effective lengths of the structural elements in compression;

take over the horizontal loads due to wind actions and the surge effects due to cranes.

CLASSIFICATION OF BRACING SYSTEMS

The following structural elements are usually braced:

roof trusses;

skylight (if there are);

columns;

crane girders (particular situations).

In the longitudinal direction of the structure, generally in the bays situated in the middle

of the blocks for temperature tolerance (contraction-expansion) two running transversal frames
are bounded together in a stiffen block.
2.6.2. Braces for the truss
They are (fig.1):
-horizontal longitudinal bracing at the bottom flange of the truss, their position being
along the structure in the external panels, between the joint in the supports of the trusses and the
next joint by longitudinal elements (rods). These braces take the horizontal reactions from the
top part of the intermediary columns that carry the longitudinal walls. If the truss is fixed to the
column, then the bottom chord of the truss being in compression, has to be provided with bracing
in the second panel. The positions of the bracing in the case of multi-spans structures when both
the heights of the columns and the lift capacities of the cranes have small or medium values are
presented and also for big heights and heavy lift capacities.

Fig. 1. Bracing systems at the bottom chord of the truss in two situations: when the distance rods are
placed in the truss joints; when the distance rods are placed intermediary between the truss joints (smaller
loads applied to the bracing system)

Fig. 2 Design elements of the horizontal bracing system at the bottom chord of the truss (the sheeting is
light and it cannot take wind loads in its plane)

-horizontal longitudinal bracing at the top chord of the truss, are mostly used for the
case when the height of the columns and the lift capacities are small. They are disposed in the
same positions only they are part of the roof as lattice girders with the top chord flanges made of
the roof purlins.

The longitudinal horizontal bracing of the truss reduces the deformations of the structure
at the roof level from the effect of the important horizontal transversal loads. They are designed
as continuous lattice girder.

Fig. 3. Different situations imposing the layout of various forms of bracing systems at the bottom chord of
the truss: fixed connection between the truss and the column, light cranes and small heights and heavy
cranes and big heights (also, cranes placed at different levels)

-horizontal transversal bracing from the bottom and the top chord of the truss are placed
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the structure and in the end bays of the structure, in the
bays next to the tolerance distance between adjacent blocks and at about 50 m along the
structure. Some of the purlins are part of the system of horizontal bracings (under the skylight
the purlins are missing so rods have to be placed).
The bracing from the bottom chord of the truss are necessary in order to avoid the local
buckling of the elements in the bottom chord of the truss.
The bracing from the top chord take the horizontal reactions coming from the top of the
intermediate columns of the walls in the gable (reactions coming from the wind action normal to
the wall) or alternatively, to a horizontal conventional force:
P 0,02 N max

(1)

where Nmax is the maximum axial stress in the top chord of the truss coming from the
vertical loads on the roof. The force P is distributed to the joints of the bracing system as in a
lattice girder after that the final stresses being determined (fig.4). It is a lattice girder with two
slopes but in the design and computation stage is assimilated with a plane system.

Fig. 4. Design of the internal members of the horizontal transversal bracing

-the vertical bracing of the marginal and central struts of the truss (fig.4) are put in the
bays with and intermediary at 3-5 bays along the structure (in order to insure the stability at the
assembling stage). They may also be put under the supports of the skylight and in the case of the
overhead travelling cranes at the joints of the bottom chord of the truss.
Braces of the skylight
-horizontal transversal bracing at the top and bottom chord of the skylight that are
placed in the end bays of a block of skylight (from fire protection conditions the length of a
block does not have to go over 40...60 m);
-the vertical bracing of the marginal and central struts are put in the bays with and
intermediary, at 3...4 bays along the skylight.

Fig. 5. Vertical bracing system of the struts of the truss: marginal and central

Braces for the columns

-vertical bracing of the columns (fig.6) are put in the axis of the columns in the
longitudinal direction along the building. In the end bays, because of the tolerances that are to be
taken into account, only a flexible rod is put at the top part of the column. Generally, the bracings
are put both at the top and at the bottom part of the column in a bay situated in the middle of the
longitudinal axes, or if the building is long, at L/3, L being the longitudinal in plane dimension;
-horizontal bracing of the columns are used in the case when the bays are very big, their
purpose being mainly that of reducing the effective length of the intermediary columns of the
longitudinal walls and to help them in taking the horizontal forces transmitted by the wind to the
walls.

The design of the cross sections of the braces is based on the slenderness assumption,
because of their small dimensions (fig.7):

Fig. 6. Design of the vertical bracing of the columns in the central rigid frame

Fig. 7. Basic elements for the layout and design of the bracing system and individual elements

i y , nec

l fy

; i z ,nec

l fz

The computation of the bracing considering strength criteria is done only for the bracing
from the inferior part of the column part are placed in the frame in the middle of the industrial
building (fig. 8). The efforts in the braces will be determined from the condition that they can

carry the resultant from the wind forces and the longitudinal horizontal forces that appear at the
rail level due to the speeding up or slowing down of the crane (surge effect):

0; W F p hi V LT 0

(4)

then:
V W F p

hi
W F p tg
LT

(5)

Also:

0;W F p 2 D cos

(6)

Then:
D

W Fp
2 cos

(7)

The bracing elements are generally compound sections, from two hot rolled profileschannels, angles, hollow sections, etc. interconnected. The connection between the braces and
the structural elements are bolted on gussets, these last elements being welded to the column
section.