Seismic effect of steel bracing systems in RC frame models

A bracing system is a common type of construction used in multi-storyed buildings for strengthening the structure. This type of technique may be used for retrofitting of existing building. Steel braced frame is used to resist earthquake loads in multistoried buildings. Steel bracing systems are affordable, simple to install, take up less space and may be designed in a variety of ways to achieve the desired strength and stiffness. In this study, three different heights of building model were considered to analyze the effect of bracing systems. For the study, each model is considered to be different bracing system viz. X-bracing, diagonal bracing, inverted V-bracing, eccentric bracing. The bracing is provided for peripheral columns of each model. Using STAAD Pro software, the building models were analyzed for seismic zone IV according to IS 1893: 2002. According to the results, the X type of steel bracing significantly increases structural rigidity and reduces the maximum interstorey drift of the frames. Global and story drifts are used to analyze the building's performance.