ABSTRACT
The idea of a global safety factor surfaced in connection with the structural design of large structures. A comprehensive global structural analysis may start with the stability analysis, as through the determination of the critical load ratio the structural engineer gets a clear picture of the three-dimensional behaviour of the building and of the adequacy of the bracing system. The greater the global critical load ratio, the better the performance of the bracing system, as far as the maximum top deflection, the fundamental frequency and the stability of the building are concerned. Three different arrangements will be examined in order to show how the critical load ratio is able to monitor the performance of the bracing system and to find an optimum solution. The arrangement of the bracing system is monosymmetric and the centroid of the vertical load of the building lies on axis x.
