Comparison of buckling load for H-shaped compression members with different eccentric bracing methods

In Japanese design code, the bracing for the compression members is supported to be set up on the centroid of its section. On the other hand, the braces may be not jointed at the centroid for the compression members in the real structures, and be eccentrically jointed on the section of members. If non-structural members are used as bracings, it is more effective to design the space frame. These members are supported to be effective to restrain the buckling deformation for the compression members, and then most of non-structural members are plurally or continuously jointed. Our previous papers have evaluated the effect of the eccentric braces to restrain the buckling deformation for H-shaped compression members with an eccentric brace at the center of the member, and with continuously eccentric braces, respectively. But the effect for the continuously eccentric braces may be different from that for an eccentric brace at the center of the compression member. If it makes the effect of each eccentric bracing equivalent, it is more practical to design the compression members with eccentric braces in the space structures. This paper compares the elasto-plastic buckling behavior for H-shaped compression members with eccentric braces at the center of members to that with continuously eccentric braces, and suggests the unified estimation method for the effect of the bucking restraint for each eccentric bracing.