A knee brace connection joins a short diagonal bracing member (the knee brace) to a primary beam and column joint. Rather than running diagonally across an entire bay, knee braces cut across the corner angle of a frame. They work by transferring axial forces (both tension and compression) away from the main joint, reducing bending moments in the beam and column, and raising overall lateral stiffness.

Depending on the framing profile and load demands, a typical knee brace connection includes:

• Brace Member: Single angles, double angles, kanaalsecties, of HSS (hollow structural steel) tubing.
• Gusset Plates: Steel plates welded or bolted to the main beam or column to anchor the brace.
• Bouten: High-strength structural fasteners transferring shear and tension between plates and members.
• Lassen: Fillet or groove welds used to secure gusset plates or directly connect bracing components.
• Fastener Fillers & Verstijvingen: Additional web stiffeners or fill plates used to prevent local yield or buckling under high compression.

Samen, these parts distribute concentrated forces safely through the beam-column corner without exceeding material limits.

Knee brace connections are widely applied in structural steel designs where full X-bracing or full-height diagonal framing is impractical. Common use cases include:

• Industrial warehouses and portal frames requiring clear floor space or overhead clearance.
• Pipe racks and support structures in processing plants.
• Retrofits and seismic upgrades for existing structural frames.
• Open-air shelters, canopy structures, and crane runway supports.

Using a dedicated knee brace connection calculator ensures your corner brace designs meet rigid AISC strength requirements while saving headroom.

Several configuration options allow engineers to tailor connections based on structural geometry and loading:

• Gusset Plate Connection: A single or double gusset plate welded to the column/beam, with the brace bolted directly to it.
• Directly Welded HSS Connection: HSS tube braces slotted or bevel-cut and welded directly to structural flanges or gussets.
• Enkele hoekverbinding: Angle iron bolted on one leg to a gusset, ideal for lighter wind or sway control.
• Dubbele hoekverbinding: Back-to-back angles sandwiching a gusset plate to eliminate eccentric loading.
• Flange-Bolted Knee Brace: End plates attached directly to the brace end, bolted flush to member flanges.

You can evaluate and refine each of these configurations in the knee brace connection calculator.

Getting results from the SkyCiv Knee Brace Connection Calculator is straight-forward:

• Configuratie & Secties: Select your brace profile type (HSS, Enkele / dubbele hoek) and member dimensions.
• Fastener & Lasdetails: Specificeer boutkwaliteit, diameter, pattern spacing, or weld sizes/lengths.
• Gusset Geometry: Input plate thickness, vloeigrens, and connection work points.
• Ontwerpladingen: Enter the axial force (spanning of compressie) and any co-existing shear loads.

Klik “Bereken” to review utility ratios, capacity limits, and complete check calculations based on AISC 360 LRFD or ASD requirements.

Designing knee braces requires evaluating multiple failure modes—such as block shear, bout afschuiving, gusset buckling, and weld tear-out. SkyCiv’s knee brace connection calculator automates these complex checks into a single stream. Fully synchronized with AISC 360 normen, it delivers clear, reliable outputs and visual design checks to help structural engineers design safer frames faster.

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