Experimental study of the buckling strength of compression members connected to coplanar tension members

In structural systems using cross braces, the compression members are restrained against out-of-plane buckling by the tension members. It was shown in a theoretical study that the transverse stiffness provided by a tension member depends on the tension force in the member and on the flexural stiffness against out-of-plane deformation of the tension member. Equations were derived to determine the effective length factor of the compression member, taking into account the transverse stiffness of the tension member.This paper presents the results of a small-scale experimental study, which shows that the proposed equations slightly underestimate the transverse stiffness and overestimate the effective length factor. These equations are therefore conservative, but they indicate that an effective length factor much smaller than 1.0 can be used. Key words: stability, elastic buckling, elastic supports, cross braces.