Member Add Horizontal Brace

Default Shortcut: F2 >   Structural Steel > "Horizontal Brace"
Adds a Horizontal Brace member.
See on another page: Horizontal Brace Edit window
  • Step-By-Step
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Related Tools

1 . Click the Member Add Horizontal Brace icon, which is pictured above. The icon can be found on the Members page > Steel section.

Alternative: Invoke Member Add Horizontal Brace using the Find Tool by searching the command name and clicking the icon, which is pictured above.

2 . The status line prompts, "Add: Horizontal Brc". Various Locators become active along with Locate - Repeat - Return mouse bindings. The Member add options bar also becomes active. Select the appropriate Locate option. After adjusting the Member add options bar settings, left-click (Locate) the first point where the point location target ( ) is at.

Alternative 1: Another way to add a horizontal brace is to use Repeat. For a horizontal brace whose settings you want to duplicate, double-click the horizontal brace and press "OK" on its edit window without changing anything. Then invoke Member Add Horizontal Brace and middle-click (Repeat) to add a new horizontal brace that is exactly like the double-clicked one.

Alternative 2: Right-click (Return) or press the Esc button to end the operation.

3 .The status line prompts, "Locate second point." Note that you can still make adjustments to the Member add options bar settings at this stage. Left-click (Locate) the second point where the point location target ( ) is at to finish adding the beam member.

Alternative: Right-click (Return) or press the Esc button to end the operation.

4 .The status line prompts, "Add: Horizontal Brc", allowing you to continue adding horizontal brace members by repeating steps 2 and 3.

Alternative 1: Middle-click (Repeat) to add another horizontal brace member with the exact same attributes as the previously added horizontal brace.

Alternative 2: Right-click (Return) or press the Esc button to end the operation.

  • Another way to add a horizontal brace is to use Repeat. For a horizontal brace whose settings you want to duplicate, double-click its main material and press "OK" on its edit window without changing anything. Then invoke Member Add Horizontal Brace and middle-click (Repeat) to add a new horizontal brace that is exactly like the double-clicked one.
  • Horizontal braces have gusset plates that are in the same plane as the supporting beams the brace frames to. Connection design requires that horizontal braces be perfectly horizontal or slope up to 30 degrees from horizontal. In most cases, a horizontal brace that is sloping must be in the same plane as the beam that it frames to, which means that for a roof that slopes 20 degrees, the brace must also slope 20 degrees. A special case is a brace to two beams -- in this special case, bent plates can be designed to the web of the one beam that is not in the same plane as the brace.
  • When connecting a horizontal brace to two beams that connect to a column, you need to locate the horizontal brace work point at the workline (center) of the column.

  • When the gusset bolts to the top/bottom flange of a beam, the horizontal brace work point can be located anywhere on the top/bottom flange.

  • Connection design supports automatic connections on horizontal braces in X, K, and W configurations.

  • Shown below are some examples of different types of horizontal brace connections. The type of horizontal brace connection you get depends on where work points are located when the horizontal brace is added. Connection design can automatically create connections for horizontal braces framing to wide flange, channel, welded plate wide flange, S shape or HSS/TS beams.

  • In the examples below, the work point "End elevation" determines whether the gusset plate connects to the webs of the beams (left) or to the beam flanges (right).

    • brace below flange
    brace at flange level