Saunders, Shawn Wayne Valintino2024-07-112024-07-112023-11Saunders, Shawn Wayne Valintino. (2023). A Comparative Study of the Efficiencies of Vertical Bracing Practices. [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38901https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38901A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master in Science in Engineering, in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in 2023.The efficiencies of cross sections and configurations applied to vertical bracing are investigated by evaluating reference configurations (RCs), composed of cross braced circular hollow section (CHS) members, against comparative configurations (CCs), consisting of cross-braced Angle members, and single-CHS members. The metrics used to evaluate efficiencies were mass, raw materials costs, and fabrication and erection costs. CCs were found to be more efficient than RCs for most analysed cases, metric and configuration dependent. The following results were found: i. Mass metric a. Crossed-Angle more efficient in 79% of analysed cases. b. Single CHS more efficient in 87% of analysed cases. ii. Raw materials costs metric a. Crossed-Angle more efficient in 92% of analysed cases b. Single CHS more efficient in 88% of analysed cases iii. Fabrication and erection costs metric a. Crossed-Angle more efficient in 90.4% of analysed cases b. Single CHS more efficient in 88.5% of analysed cases Inversions of the efficiency parameter findings, with RCs more efficient than CCs, were observed when: i. RC CHS member slenderness ratios were less than 80-90. ii. CC design loads were greater than 225 kN, 1200 kN and 1500 kN for mass, raw materials and total cost efficiency metrics, respectivelyen©2023 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Structural BracingVertical BracingCross BracingStructural AnglesCircular Hollow SectionsEfficiency ParametersUCTDSDG-9: Industry, innovation and infrastructureDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg