bracing

Bracing is a structural technique used to improve a building’s or other structure’s resistance to lateral forces such as wind, earthquake, or soil movement. It achieves this by adding members that connect parts of a frame to form a rigid, triangulated geometry, allowing loads to be carried as axial forces in the braces rather than as bending in the surrounding members. Bracing is essential in frames that would otherwise be prone to sway or collapse under lateral loading.

Common bracing configurations include cross-bracing (X-bracing), diagonal bracing, V-bracing, K-bracing, and chevron or knee bracing. These configurations differ in how the braces share forces with the primary frame and how they affect stiffness and ductility. Braces are typically made from steel, but timber, concrete, or composite materials are used in some buildings. In wood-frame construction, diagonal braces stabilize walls; in steel frames, slender members connected to columns and beams resist lateral displacements.

Bracing can be permanent, as part of the design for new construction; it can also be temporary during construction to stabilize structures until permanent systems are in place. Design requires consideration of ultimate strength, stiffness, ductility, connections, and redundancy so that the system remains functional after damage or extreme loading. The choice of bracing type depends on architectural constraints, load paths, and cost.

Outside structural engineering, bracing also denotes orthodontic devices such as dental braces, used to gradually move teeth into desired positions by applying controlled forces.