Bracing Arrangement

[DCBII]

I'm currently designing an industrial/crane building. The building is 275' long by 335' wide x 150' tall. It's rectangular in plan.

From what I've read about thermal expansion, it's best to place the bracing in the center bays, to allow things to expand outward away from the bracing. In this particular building layout however, access ways for mobile equipment are needed which make it impossible to place bracing in the center of the building.

The expansion joint chart in the AISC manual doesn't really start to consider expansion joints until the building hits around 400' long. Has anyone out there ever had problems with thermal expansion when they've placed bracing in the end bays of a building less than 400' long.

 

[hokie66]

I think most of these guideline recommendations are for buildings much less than yours in height. Not knowing more about how your building is framed and clad, it is difficult to say where problems might occur, but you just have to think it through.

 

[JAE]

Why don't you simply position your braces a bit off the center of the building - allowing the through-bays to occur but still avoiding X-braces at each end.

You could theoretically have your braces placed at just one end but this leads sometimes to excessive out-of-plumb columns at the far end - per hokie - depends on the location, enclosure, etc.