Bracing short mezzanine structure

[Navid.Nik]

I need to approve an industrial steel mezzanine structure with 1.1 meter height. It is only a 10 square meter mezzanine that is intended to be used as an access point to another structure. It is a self standing structure, but they have not used sort of the bracing. I was wondering if we can skip the bracing because of the low height of the structure! The structure does have a horizontal bracing for the diaphragm action.

I tried to find a note about the maximum height of the structure that is allowed to be built in IBC code without considering any bracing in it, but I haven't found any!

Does anyone aware of any rules for this based on any US codes?

 

[SWComposites]

Seems foolish to not brace it for lateral loading.

 

[CDLD]

Is it a moment frame?

 

[IlliniPE]

About the only way I would forego bracing would be if your columns are 100% fixed. But if you are working with a pinned connection system, braces will have to be used for stability. Need a way to transfer that lateral load to the base.

 

[strucbells]

Yeah you could check if it works as a cantilevered column system (fixed base). Might do since it's so small. Depends on what the framing and foundation looks like.

 

[human909]

Plenty of short industrial structures are built with nominally pinned connections and no bracing.

Lots of the time they 'work' in that they are stable and strong 'enough' for purpose. But they might also readily rock laterally under shifting body weight. My typical test is simple standing on them and shifting my body weight around.

Why do you have a desire to approve a structure without bracing? Make your own decisions. Insist on bracing it you deem it is required.

 

[KootK]

I'd be pretty comfortable with this as is given the scale of the structure and the light loading. Your simple beam connections will likely have some moment capacity. Ditto for your base connections even if they are just post installed anchors into SOG. Systems where every column is a moment frame column of sorts are pretty forgiving with respect to stability.