RELATION BETWEEN DISCRETE AND CONTINUOUS BRACING AND PROPOSAL OF EQUATION FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH FACTOR

－ Members subjected to uniform axial compressive force －

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to clarify the relationship between the effective length and bracing stiffness of braced compression members subjected to uniform axial force and to propose a formula for evaluating an effective length factor. The effective length of the members with continuous bracings and that of the members with discrete bracings are compared. Moreover, the effective length factors calculated by the proposed formula are compared with the correct values. It is shown that the evaluation accuracy for the effective length factor is within five percents.