The effect of semi-rigid joints and an elastic bracing system on the buckling load of simple rectangular steel frames

A linear stability analysis for establishing the combined effect of joint flexibility and an elastic bracing system on the buckling load of steel plane frames is presented herein. Based on the beam-to-column model of Eurocode 3, the subsequent study shows that joint flexibility is a very important parameter that needs to be incorporated into the stability analysis of frames with semi-rigid connections. It was found that assuming flexible connections in such frames always leads to a reduction of their buckling load, which is proven to be significant in many characteristic cases. Numerical results for simple elastically braced or unbraced frames with semi-rigid connections, in tabular and graphical form, reveal the pronounced effect of joint flexibility and elastic bracing on their buckling load. The results presented herein can be readily used for the design of simple frames against buckling, while the flexible connection concept can be applied to all types of steel frames.