On-demand Webinar

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This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and ASCE Continuing Education

Instructor:  Alexander Newman, P.E., F.ASCE

Course Length: 1.5 Hours

The webinar allows the audience to see this seminar straight from my office, without having to travel. I have attended many ASCE webinars and find that ASCE knows how to put together an effective webinar.

Purpose and Background

Most structural engineers know that flexural members may need some lateral bracing to optimize their load-carrying capacities. But what kind of bracing? For which loads is the bracing designed? Which design details should be used? These questions are only the beginning.

There are many more detailed questions that come up during real-life design projects. For instance: Can a structural steel girder be laterally braced by the corrugated metal deck with the flutes parallel to its span? Do joist hangers provide rotational support at the ends of wood rafters? How often should the antiroll braces be placed at the supports of Z purlins used in pre-engineered buildings? Should an isolated concrete beam be laterally braced? When is cross-bridging needed for wood floor joists?

This webinar discusses these and many other practical issues involved in designing and specifying lateral bracing for flexural members of various materials. The presentation starts with the basics of bracing design applicable to all types of beams and joists. It then proceeds to an in-depth examination of the bracing practices for flexural members in wood, concrete, structural steel, and pre-engineered metal buildings.

Borrowing from more than 30 years of engineering and forensic experience, the instructor explains which designs worked better than others and which common details could be improved. The design examples and sketches of various bracing systems illustrate the discussion.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Identify the general types of bracing used in flexural members
  • Become familiar with the practical methods of designing lateral and torsional bracing used in wood, concrete, structural steel, and pre-engineered building flexural members

Webinar Benefits

  • Explore the various types of bracing used to provide stability against lateral displacement and rotation in flexural members
  • Discover the dangers of using some very common details for beam supports
  • Find out the specific design requirements for lateral and torsional bracing contained in the authoritative publications
  • Work through a number of design examples for strength and stiffness of lateral bracing

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

Structural and civil engineers, architects, and building officials seeking to broaden their knowledge of lateral bracing of flexural members will benefit from this webinar.

Webinar Outline

  • Introduction
  • The general types of bracing used in flexural members
  • Lateral bracing for wood beams and joists
  • Lateral bracing for concrete members
  • Lateral bracing for structural steel beams
  • Lateral bracing for metal building systems

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]