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Various types of braces are used to prevent buckling of structures and increase buckling strength. While bracing requirements of elastic structures are well explained, those of inelastic structures are not fully developed. Experimental and analytical studies were conducted to determine bracing requirements of inelastic columns. In the experimental study, columns with a brace at mid height were loaded to their maximum limit with the brace stiffness at the mid height as the main variable. The tangent modulus of the columns which governs the inelastic buckling loads was kept constant. An analytical study was also performed to compare with the experimental results. The columns were modeled and analyzed by the finite element program, ABAQUS. It was found through the experimental and analytical studies that the bracing requirements for inelastic columns depend on the number of braces, the buckling load, and the length of a column but not on the material state. The results show that Winter's simplified method to determine full brace requirements can be applied to inelastic members as well as elastic members.
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