CHAPTER 4: COLUMN DESIGN

BFC 44903
Assoc Prof Dr DYeoh
Structural Steel Design
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Course content
Chapter
1 Introduction to structural steel design
2 Connection
3 Beam
4 Column
5 Truss
6 Portal frame
7 Timber beam and column

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Outline of lecture

• What happens to columns?

• Back to basic about column behaviour
• Back to basic about Euler buckling theory
• Column design EC3
• Simplified column design

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What normally happens to columns?
• Carry load in compression

• Very stocky columns are governed by material

strength

• Non-stocky columns are governed by

resistance to flexural buckling (Euler theory)

• Local buckling makes column weaker

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Back to basic = Idealised Column Behaviour
P
Yield strength of column given by

N squash = Af y Applies to short, stocky

columns

P P

 2 EI
 cr = 1  cr = 4
 2 EI
=
 2 EI
AL2 AL 2
A( L / 2) 2

Idealised Euler L/2 the “effective

buckling length”
strength of pin Applies to
ended column
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columns
Back to basic = Effective Length Concept
σcr depends on geometry of beam (I, A and L)
 2 EI
Generally,  cr = k support conditions (k)
AL2 material properties (E)

k depends on support conditions

k=0.25 k=1 k=4

Leff=2L Leff=1L Leff=L/2
Effective lengths can be used instead then
 2 EI
 cr = 2
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Back to basic = Effective Lengths

• No guidance in Eurocode on effective lengths

– Use conservative values (e.g. assume pinned)

• Effective length can be different about

different axes (as can slenderness)

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Figure from
NCCI
(non-sway)

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Back to basic = Effective Lengths
Pinned Pinned

L
Fixed Fixed

Le=2L Le=0.7L

Sway condition Non-sway condition

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Back to basic = Slenderness
 EI 2
 cr =
P now depends on geometry of
2 beam (I, A and L) and
ALeff material properties (E)

Define “radius of gyration” i, as √(I/A) and slenderness as Leff/i

 2 EI  2 Ei 2  2E Concept of slenderness
 cr = = = 2 allows easy comparison
ALeff
2
Leff
2
 of strength of different
columns

Slenderness
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Back to basic = Elastic Critical Force
• This is the theoretical load at which a column
buckles elastically (as before)
• Needed in all column design calculations
• Slenderness and effective length are needed to
determine its value

 AE2
N cr =
2

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Back to basic = Idealized Column
Behaviour
Yielding
Idealised behaviour
σy
Failure Stress

Euler buckling

Slenderness
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Back to basic = Real Column Behaviour
Yielding
Idealised behaviour
σy
Real behaviour
Failure Stress

Euler buckling
Real response
effected by crookedness,
residual stresses, yielding
eccentricity of load

Relative Slenderness
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Real Column Behaviour
• Idealised strength not attained because of
– Initial imperfections
– Local yielding
– Eccentric load
– Residual stresses
• Various formulae used to predict real
behaviour
– Rankine (old but simple)
– Perry-Robertson (varied form used in EN1993)

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Non-dimensional Slenderness
• Slenderness (λ) arises naturally from column buckling calcs
– Cannot be used more generally (e.g for L-t bucking)
– Contains (weak) dependence on yield stress

Plastic failure load “normal” slenderness

Non - dimensiona l slenderness =  = appears in here
Buckling load

◼ Relative slenderness concept introduced to Eurocodes (and

elsewhere)
– Also modified or generalized slenderness (Eurocode)
– Similar concept to traditional slenderness
– Can be used for other types of buckling
◼ Both types of slenderness needed for EC column design
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Eurocode Column Design
Fraction of yield stress (χ)

Idealised behaviour
1
Design curve (selected)
0.8
Euler buckling curve

0.5 Af y
Nb =
ym
0.1

Non-dimensional Slenderness
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Column Design
1. Compression members (columns and struts)
must be checked for:
• Resistance to compression (within the cross-
section)
• Resistance to buckling (within the member)

2. Compression members with bending must be

checked for the combined effects.
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Steps = Eurocode Column Design
• First check section capacity 6.2.4
– Class four sections have lower capacity due to local
buckling
• Next check for flexural (= Euler) buckling 6.3.1.2
• Need chi factor - this depends on
– Elastic critical load (theoretical buckling load)
– Section capacity (squash load)
– Imperfection value (Tables 6.2 and 6.1)
• Behaviour of all columns captured in Fig 6.4

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Back to basic = buckling directions
MAJOR AXIS CONDITION MINOR AXIS CONDITION
Free to move vertically Free to move vertically
Free to rotate Not free to rotate

Free to rotate
Free to rotate

Buckles left
Buckles up
to right
and down
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Members With Axial Force and
Bending – Cross Section Capacity
M/Mp
• Reduction in capacity can Real interaction
1
often be ignored if one effect surface

dominates (6.2.9)
“Safe”
• If not interaction surfaces are
used ( 6.2.1(7) and 6.2.9.1(6) ) 1 N/Np

Simple interaction surface

Eqn 6.41

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Members With Axial Force and
Bending – Buckling Capacity
• General case very complex (6.3.3) Eqn. 6.61, 6.62
• Covers torsional, buckling and instability effects

N Ed M y , Ed
+ k yy 1
 y N Rk  LT M y , Rk

Flexural buckling Interaction

reduction factor factor Lateral buckling reduction
Factor

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Simplified column design in Simple
Construction
• SCI SN048b
• Simple construction, Class 1-3, hot-rolled UB & UC

N Ed M y ,Ed M z ,Ed
+ + 1.5 1
N b ,Rd M b ,Rd M z ,Rd

 z Af y  LT W y f y W pl ,z f y
 M1  M1  M1
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EXAMPLE – Column in Simple
Construction
• Steel Construction Institute SCI Student
Worked Example
• Pages 49 to 52

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Recap what have we learned?

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