A "partially braced" structure is one that is braced against sidesway in only one direction. To consider ONLY the frames in the Global X OR Global Y directions as being braced against sidesway:

1. Select the Partially Braced option button.
2. Check Global X +/- check box OR the Global Y +/- check box.
3. Accept "0" as the number of degrees in the Degrees box.

To include frame members which are rotated off the Global X OR Global Y axes as being braced against sidesway:

1. Select the Partially Braced option button.
2. Check Global X +/- check box OR the Global Y +/- check box.
3. Enter the appropriate angle in the Degrees box.
   Note: The degrees angle refers to the angle between the global axis indicated and the lateral member local x-axis.

For example: To consider Frame A (see Figure 1 below) to be braced against sidesway,

1. Select Partially Braced
2. Check Global X +/-
3. Enter 20 in the Degrees box.

Notice that the 20 degrees refers to the angle between the global axis and the local x-axes of both the columns and the beams that comprise the frame. This will result in both the beams and the columns of Frame A being braced against sidesway.

WARNING: If the local x-axes of the beams and columns that comprise the frame are not concurrent, unexpected results can occur. If, in the above example, the columns were rotated 90 degrees (see Figure 2 below), and the same sidesway criteria was entered, only the beams of Frame A would be considered braced against sidesway. RAM Frame will not consider the columns of Frame A braced against sidesway because the angle between the columns’ local x-axes and the global x-axis is now 70 degrees.