Selecting Assign > Column > Flange Bracing opens the Assign Column Flange Bracing dialog. From this dialog, you can override—on a member by member basis—the global column bracing criteria specified in the Criteria-Flange Bracing dialog. The engineer should specify whether the top of the column is braced or unbraced (or should consider the global criteria ) in each axis. This command acts with respect to the top of the column element. Note that if a column is broken up by an intermediate story such that separate column elements comprise the physical column, then the top of the selected column element will be assigned the specified criteria. When assigning these criteria the user must be careful to select the correct column.

After the appropriate values are specified the engineer can assign the criteria to a single member (click on Single), to multiple members (click on Fence) or to all members (click on All). Be careful of using the All and Fence options for the reason described above. If Single is clicked the dialog will close and a target cursor will be made available. Click on each column that you would like the criteria to apply too. If Fence is clicked the dialog will close and a fence cursor will be made available. Click and drag a rectangle around all the sections that you want the criteria assigned too. Note that the criteria are only assigned to steel columns. To return to the dialog to select a different effective length criteria click on the right mouse button.

To view which member axes are using the global criteria and which have been overridden select the appropriate option from the View-Members Dialog.