Lu, H., Gilbert, M. orcid.org/0000-0003-4633-2839 and Tyas, A. orcid.org/0000-0001-6078-5215 (2018) Theoretically optimal bracing for pre-existing building frames. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 58 (2). pp. 677-686. ISSN 1615-147X
Abstract
Bracing is commonly used to provide resistance to lateral forces in building structures. However, traditional bracing design approaches appear not to be underpinned by clear fundamental principles. Here, theoretically optimal arrangements of bracing members are sought for pre-existing building frames, already designed to carry gravity loads. For sake of simplicity existing frame elements are assumed to be capable of carrying additional loads and three types of bracing are considered: tension only bracing, bracing intersecting only at the corners of the existing frame, and unconstrained optimal bracing, where bracing elements can intersect at any location. Layout optimization techniques are used to identify initial design solutions; these are then related to Michell trusses to obtain exact reference volumes, against which the efficiency of other bracing layouts can be judged. It is shown that from a theoretical standpoint tension only bracing is inefficient and that the optimal angle of intersection between a pre-existing frame member and intersecting tension/compression bracing member pairs is 45 ∘ , something that can potentially be adopted as a basic principle when designing bracing for a pre-existing frame.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. |
Keywords: | Buildings; Bracing design; Layout optimization |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 21 Mar 2018 14:17 |
Last Modified: | 11 Nov 2020 11:43 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer Verlag |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s00158-018-1921-7 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:128813 |