An innovative use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials, to control the manifestation of local buckling in a steel section during plastic hinging is discussed in the present work. Specifically, details related to how the high stiffness and linear behavior of FRP materials may be utilized to provide "bracing" against flange local buckling (FLB), in a way that strategically leverages the unique mechanical properties of each material in an efficient application domain, are discussed. The proposed method is not aimed at increasing the load carrying capacity of the steel section, per se; although this may certainly be accomplished if desired. Rather, the present paper reports on a novel technique that is aimed at providing stability (in the sense of bracing) to the steel section through the imposition FRP strips whose function is to enforce a nodal line along a plate element for the purposes of: increasing its critical load; and constraining plastic flow in the plate element. The member becomes, in affect, an FRP stabilized steel section. The research work discussed herein is primarily analytical in nature. Detailed nonlinear finite element models are created using the commercially available software system ADINA
