Steps for Designing Steel Bracing - General Guide

Step 1. Select an Appropriate Bracing TypeTo start, identify the loading conditions imposed on the structure. This could include: 
Dead loads 
Live loads
Wind loads
Seismic loads 
Temperature effects etc. 
Select the appropriate bracing type based on the structure and loading conditions and determine their location in the structure. Consider the general layout and arrangement of the bracing elements. 
Step 2. Calculate Design Loads Calculate the design loads and determine the resulting forces and moments in the bracing members.  
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Resolved forces in a braced bay from lateral load, F
Step 3. Select Bracing Member Section Select suitable steel sections for the first design reiteration of the bracing members.  
Some steel sections that are often used in braced frames: 
I-Sections or W-Sections (Wide Flange Beams): Ability to resist both bending and shear forces.
Angle Sections: L-shaped cross sections commonly used for diagonal bracing members.
Channel Sections: C-shaped cross sections.
Some links to relevant steel sections catalogues: 
One Steel - Hot Rolled and Structural Steel products (Australia)
Steel Building Design: Design Data SCI-363 (Eurocode)
AISC Steel Construction Manual Design Tables (US) 
Step 4. Check Axial Capacity & Compression Buckling Resistance For tension members, design the members for axial tension. Some relevant design standards for designing for tension and compression members: 
AS 4100: Steel Structures Clause 6.3 & 7.2 (Australia)
BS EN 1993-1-1:2005 Design of Steel Structures Clause 6.3.3 (Eurocode)  
ANSI/AISC 360-16: Structural Steel Buildings Chapter D & E (USA)
In general, members in compression are more complex to design since they can fail under: 
Yielding 
Inelastic buckling 
Elastic buckling (depending on the slenderness ratio)  
Evaluate the frame stability and determine its sensitivity to second-order effects, then select an amplification factor for the horizontal load. 
Step 5. Design Connections As they say, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. There's no point in creating a steel bracing system without adequate connections.
Of course, the design capacity of each connection element should not be less than the calculated design action effects.  
Some relevant design standards for designing for tension and compression members: 
AS 4100: Steel Structures Section 9 (Australia)
Check out our step-by-step design guide to Australian Standards here
BS EN 1993-1-8:2005 Design of Joints (Eurocode)
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BS EN 1993-1-8:2005 Section 2
ANSI/AISC 360-16: Structural Steel Buildings Chapter J (USA)
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ANSI/AISC 360-16 Chapter J [2]
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References[1] European Union. (2005). Eurocode 3: Design of Steel Structures (BS EN 1993-1-1:2005). SAI Global. https://www.saiglobal.com/ 
[2] American National Standard. (2016). Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360-16:2016). SAI Global. https://www.saiglobal.com/ 
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