Required bracing capacity on lateral buckling strength for H-shaped beams with bracings

The lateral bracings are usually set to upper flanges of H-shaped beams in the moment resisting frames, and then the stress of the braced flange may become tensile. If the bracings are connected to the tensile flange of H-shaped beams, its lateral buckling strength is more increased than that without bracing. The bracing connected to tensile flange must restrain torsion to increase the lateral buckling strength of the beams. In this paper, the elasto-plastic lateral buckling load for H-shaped beams with lateral and rotational bracings is presented, and the relationship between the bracing stiffnesses and strength is estimated.