Is a Staked X brace the same as a K Brace

[SEJohn]

In single story pre-engineered metal buidlings, you sometimes see a stacked X-brace with tension rods. This would look like a two story X-brace systems, but in a single story building. Where the two levels of X-bracing come together, you effectively have a K-brace condition, except there is a horizontal beam at that level. So, lateral force travels down the upper tension member,across the horizontal beam, and then down the lower tension member to the ground. The column is continuous from floor to roof and is usually oriented with the rods coming into the web of a WF sections.
Question 1: Is this configuration a K-brace that is not allowed in OCBFs per AISC 341?
Question 2: Would the answer to 1 be different if the same configuration be used with tension/compression braces (like HSS sections)?
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[JAE]

It is not a "K" brace in that the column is not essential to the stability from column bending.
You could put a pin in the column at the horizontal beam and the whole framework would behave as a truss.

So since the column bending at the horizontal beam is not critical to the stability then it is not a "K" brace.



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[SEJohn]

Your logic agrees with the commentary with AISC 341. Thanks for the response.