Analysis of Knee-braced Portal Frames

for Vertical Loading:

Part 2-Columns of Unequal Stiffness

HOWARD K. VILAS AND JOHN O. SURTEES

In our previous paper, "The Analysis of Knee-Braced Portal

Frames for Vertical Loading,"1 the example presented had
columns of equal stiffness, resulting in a simple computation
for sway shear force. The sway shear force was equally
divided between the two columns to find the knee-brace
loads. This paper investigates the sway analysis of frames of
unequal column stiffness. For continuity, the equation and
figure numbers are continuous from Part 1.1
The first step in determining sway shear for the frame is
described in the previous paper. Frame sway is first
prevented by introducing a temporary horizontal restraint at
the beam level. For a one bay portal frame, the initial knee-
brace loads due to vertical loading are calculated using Eq. 7
of Ref. 1, and the restraint reactions determined. In the
second step, the temporary restraint is removed and the frame
allowed to sway due to the sway load, giving the sway
Figure 9
correction. The sum of the two steps gives the required result.

The second equation is obtained by equating horizontal

SWAY CORRECTION
deflections dB and dE. The horizontal deflection comprises of
The number of equations to be solved is the same as the two parts. In the case of Col. AB, the first part is the
number of knee braces in the frame. One of these equations displacement of GB relative to base A due to base shear of
derives from equating frame base shears to the sway load. a a
P1 cos θ 1 1 given by P1 cos θ 1 1 d aa
For the frame shown in Fig. 9 the equation is: L1 L1
a1 a The second part of the horizontal deflection is given by
P1 cos θ1 + P2 cos θ 2 2 = H or L
L1 L2 d G 1 where dG is the horizontal movement of G
a1
CP1 + DP2 = H (9) considering vertical deflection of beam at C and axial
deformation of knee brace. For the direction of sway shown,
Howard K. Vilas is a Structural Engineer with Sargent & Lundy
Engineers, Chicago, Illinois.
P1 is tensile and P2 is compressive. Referring to Fig. 10,

John O. Surtees is a Lecturer, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University dG = (P1dbrc1 + dCsinθ1) / cosθ1
of Leeds, Leeds, England. and dC = P1sinθ1dcc – P2sinθ2dcd

FOURTH QUARTER / 1984 223

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 a2 Ld L sin2 θ2
B= d ff cos θ2 + 2 brc 2 + 2 ddd +
L2 a2 cos θ2 a2 cos θ2
L1 sin θ1 sin θ 2
dcd
a1 cos θ1
Solving Eqs. 9 and 12, the knee-brace loads are,
P1 = HB/(AD + BC) and P2 = HA/(AD + BC)

Following is an example of a single bay knee-braced

portal frame with columns of unequal stiffness. Referring to
Fig. 11,
Col. AB: I = 750 in.4
L1 = 20 ft
a1 = 8 ft
35389
.
Figure 10 d gg = in./kip
E
2,21184
.
Substituting the value of dC in the equation for dG, we d aa = in./kip
get E
Col. EF: I = 500 in.4
dG=(P1dbrc1 + P1sin2θ1dcc – P2sinθ1sinθ2dcd )/cosθ1
L2 = 8 ft

Now the total lateral deflection of B is given by: a2 = 4 ft

3686
.
d B = P1 cosθ 1
a1 L
d aa + d G 1 d hh = in./kip
L1 a1 E
147.46
a1 d ff = in./kip
= P1 cos θ 1 d aa + ( P1d brc1 E
L1
Beam BE: I = 1,000 in.4
+P1sin2θ1dcc
L1
− P2 sin θ 1 sin θ 2 d cd ) /cos θ 1 (10)
a1

Similarly, lateral deflection of E is given by,

a2
dE = P2 cosθ2 d ff + ( P2dbrc2 + P2 sin2 θ2ddd
L2
–P1sinθ1sinθ2dcd) (L2/a2)/cosθ2 (11)

Equating dB and dE and rearranging we get,

AP1 – BP2 = 0 (12)

where coefficients A and B are as follows,

a1 Ld L sin2 θ1
A= daa cos θ1 + 1 brc1 + 1 dcc +
L1 a1 cos θ1 a1 cos θ1
L2 sin θ1 sin θ 2 Figure 11
d cd and
a 2 cos θ 2

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 l = 20 ft
20321
.
d cc = in./kip
E
120.27
d cd = in./kip
E
117.97
d dd = in./kip
E

Due to vertical loading on beam,

7,534.9
d C1 = in.
E
5,966.78 Figure 12
d D1 = in.
E
Initial distribution is shown in Fig. 12.
Knee brace 1: L = 10 ft
A = 2.5 sq.in. b. Sway Correction
sinθ1 = 0.8 Coef. A = (8/20)×0.6×2,211.84 +
(20/8)×0.8×(0.8/0.6)×203.213 +
cosθ1 = 0.6 (8/4)×0.8×1×120.27 + [(20×48)/
48 (8×0.6)] = 530.84 +
dbrc1 = in./kip 541.9+192.43+200.0=1,465.17
E
Knee brace 2: L = 5.656 ft Coef. B = (4/8)×0.707×147.46 +
(8/4)×0.707×1×117.97 +
A = 2.5 sq.in. (20/8)×0.707×(0.8/0.6)×120.27 +
sinθ2 = cosθ2 = 0.707 [(8×27.15)/(4×1)]×0.707 =
52.13+166.83+283.48+
2715
. 76.8=579.24
d brc2 = in./kip
E
Coef. C = (8/20)×0.6 = 0.24
a. Sway Prevented Case
Coef. D = (4/8)×0.707 = 0.35355
Using Eq. 7 of Ref. 1,
AD + BC = 1,465.17×0.35355 +
579.24×0.24=657.035
−1
 P1   M11 M12   7,534.9 × 08.  579.24
P  =  M M  ×  P1 = × 8.359 k = 7.369k
 2   21 22  5,966,78 × 0.707 657.035
1,46517
.
P2 = × 8.359k = 18.64k
where 657.035

M11 = 0.64 × 203.21 + 0.36 × 353.89 + 48 These values are shown in Fig. 13.
M12 = 0.8 × 0.707 × 120.27 The resulting knee-brace loads, together with column and
beam moments, are shown in Figs. 14 and 15. The above
M21 = 0.8 × 0.707 × 120.47 problem was also solved using a computer, with the results
M22 = 0.5 × 117.965 + 0.5 × 36.86 + 27.15 within 2% of the values calculated above.
This paper, and the previous one, have looked at the
analysis of a one bay portal frame. The same reasoning can
−1
. 68.04 6,027.95 12.568 k 
 P1  30546 be extended to cover multibay frames with knee braces. The
=
 P  68.04 104.56 4,21915 = 
 2    .  32174
. k number of equations to be solved for each of the cases of
sway prevented and sway correction would depend on the
k
Sway shear = 12.568×0.6×0.4 – 32.174×0.707×0.5=–8.359 number of knee braces totally present.

FOURTH QUARTER / 1984 225

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 Figure 15

NOMENCLATURE
daa = cantilever deflection of base A due to unit load at
Figure 13 A on the Col. AB supported at G and B
dcc = deflection in beam at C due to a unit load at C
dcd = deflection in beam at C due to a unit load at D
ddd = deflection in beam at D due to a unit load at D
dgg = deflection in Col. AB at G due to unit load at G
dhh = deflection in Col. EF at H due to unit load at H
dff = cantilever deflection of Base F due to a unit load at
F on the Col. EF supported at H and E
dbrc1 = shortening of Brace GC due to a unit load along
GC
dbrc2 = shortening of Brace DH due to a unit load along
DH
dC1 = deflection in beam at C due to external loading
dD1 = deflection in beam at D due to external loading
P1 = force in Brace GC
P2 = force in Brace DH

REFERENCE
1. Vilas H.K. and J.O. Surtees Analysis of Knee-Braced Portal
Frames for Vertical LoadingAISC Engineering Journal, 4th
Qtr., 1983, Chicago, Ill.

Figure 14

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