
May 25, 2016
SCBF Seismic Brace Connections
Vertical Diagonal Brace connections and Vertical Chevron Brace connections may be designed as Special Concentric Braced Frame (SCBF) connections in RISAConnection v6.
Light-framed construction has become increasingly prevalent in mid-rise and modular development, driven by its cost-efficiency, speed of construction, and adaptability. But with flexibility comes complexity. Engineers designing with wood and cold-formed steel (CFS) must navigate a unique set of challenges: diaphragm behavior, segmented shear walls, buckling sensitivity, and code-specific checks that differ from traditional hot-rolled steel or reinforced concrete structures. This article explores practical modeling and design approaches for light-framed buildings, focusing on how structural engineers can balance constructability, analysis clarity, and compliance with governing codes. Diaphragm Behavior: Not Always Rigid In light-framed buildings, flexible diaphragms are often assumed due to the nature of wood sheathing or light-gauge decking. However, as buildings increase in size and irregularity, this assumption deserves scrutiny. Flexible diaphragm assumptions work well in rectangular buildings with regular framing, but irregular load paths or large openings may require semi-rigid modeling to capture torsional behavior. Engineers should consider the influence of diaphragm stiffness when assigning lateral forces, especially in hybrid systems where part of the structure may be stiffer or tied into concrete cores. In projects where semi-rigid diaphragm analysis was warranted, integrating tools like finite element meshing helped visualize how in-plane stiffness impacted overall response—particularly in designs…
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Vertical Diagonal Brace connections and Vertical Chevron Brace connections may be designed as Special Concentric Braced Frame (SCBF) connections in RISAConnection v6.
This webinar shows users how to design and detail brace connections including gussets to meet the AISC 341/358 Seismic Provisions.
Vertical Diagonal Brace connections and Vertical Chevron Brace connections may be designed as Ordinary Concentric Braced Frame (OCBF) connections in RISAConnection v6.
RISAConnection v6 has introduced the ability to design vertical brace connections per the seismic design provisions of the AISC 341-10 Seismic Design Manual.
The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research center (PEER) has a large library of measured earthquake records. Below is an example of how to quickly convert one of these records into a format that can be imported into RISA.
Time history analysis solves for normal analysis results (joint displacements, member forces, code checks, etc.) based on loading that varies with time. For some analyses it may be useful to view an animation of the deflected shape of the structure as a function of time. This blog topic serves as a...
In the Seismic Loads dialog there is a checkbox for “Include structure weight in base shear”.
RIAFloor designs the gravity system and then integrates with RISA-3D to design the lateral system. Only the lateral members are taken from RISAFloor over to RISA-3D. The loading is automated in this integration so one of the most common questions is: what loads are transferred when switching from...
Design for seismic connection detailing is now available in RISAConnection and you can use the connection rules within RISAFloor and RISA-3D to export a RISAConnection model. The integration will import the connection forces (and seismic detailing results) into RISAConnection for seismic moment...
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