Linear and Nonlinear Behavior of Steel Buildings with Different Bracing Systems

Abstract

In this study, the effects of wind and seismic loads on 5, 10, and 15 story steel buildings with different bracing systems were investigated. Linear static and nonlinear dynamic analyses were performed to assess the base shear, base moment, and story drift for all bracing systems. In addition, the cost analysis was taken into consideration. Five structural configurations were used: V-bracing, inverted V-bracing, one-story X-bracing, and multistory X-bracing. One of the most important features of a building is lateral stiffness, which defines the resistance to displacement under seismic and wind loads, at the same time, the lateral stiffness has a major impact on the natural time of the structure. Reducing displacement and cost in the structures indicates that the design is safe and economical. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to find the best bracing system that causes minimum displacement, which indicates maximum lateral stiffness. From this point of view, the behavior of bracing systems exposed to wind and seismic loads in buildings with different stories was investigated. Static linear analysis results showed that the best bracing systems to reduce lateral displacement were the one-story X-bracing system for 5 and 15 story buildings and the V-bracing system for 10 story buildings. On the other hand, nonlinear dynamic analysis results showed that lateral displacement was minimum in unbraced, V-bracing, and one-story X-bracing systems for 5, 10, and 15 stories, respectively.