can i use checkered plate to provide lateral-torsional bracing for the top flange of a steel beam?

[ELSARWAN]

thread507-187196

can i use checkered plate to provide lateral-torsional bracing for the top flange of a steel beam?

 

[phamENG]

You can, but only if it meets the minimum strength and stiffness criteria of a brace for a flexural member. Not sure what code you're using, but AISC defines these in the appendices.

 

[KootK]

This should be fine so long as the checkered plate is part of a deck/diaphragm that is itself stabilized laterally. Obviously, you can't brace with something that is itself free to translate.

 

[JoshPlumSE]

Checker plate (by itself) isn't going to do too much. If all you've got are a series of beams spaced 2 ft apart (or however far the checker plate can span), that don't connect to each other any way other than the checker plate, this isn't going to do much to restrain LTB.

However, if you've got another member that frames into the beam at the same point, then this member (in combination with the checker plate) is probably pretty good. Though as PhamENG stated, it's based on strength and stiffness criteria. Refer to the AISC appendix on the subject for more info.