Design of Columns

 Columns are vertical structural

members in buildings carrying roof and
floor loads to the foundations. The
code (cl 3.8)classifies columns first as
1. short columns when the ratios lex/h
and ley/b are both less than 15 for
braced columns and less than 10 for
unbraced columns and
2. slender columns when the ratios are
larger than the values given above
lex- effective height of the column in respect of
the major axis (i.e. x–x axis)
ley-effective height of the column in respect of the
minor axis
b- Width of the column cross-section
h- Depth of the column cross-section
The function of columns in a structure
is to act as vertical supports to
suspended members such as beams
and roofs and to transmit the loads
from these members down to the
foundations
Columns are primarily compression
members although they may also have
to resist bending moments transmitted
by beams.
the most common type of column found
in building structures, namely short-
braced columns.
the greatest overall cross-sectional
dimension for columns
does not exceed four
times its smaller dimension
(i.e. h ≤ 4b,
where h > 4b the member should be
regarded as a wall for design purposes
(clause 1.2.4.1, BS 8110).
SHORT AND SLENDER COLUMNS
Columns may fail due to one of three
mechanisms:
i. compression failure of the concrete/steel
reinforcement
ii. buckling.
iii. combination of buckling and compression
failure.
For any given cross-section, failure mode (1) is
most likely to occur with columns which are
short and stocky, while failure mode (2) is
probable with columns which are long and
slender.
 compression failure of the concrete/steel
reinforcement

Common Column cross-sections. Buckling

 compression failure of
the steel reinforcement

compression failure of the

concrete
BRACED AND UNBRACED COLUMNS (CLAUSE 3.8.1.5,
BS 8110)
A column may be considered braced if the lateral loads,
due to wind for example, are resisted by shear walls or
some other form of bracing rather than by the column.
all the columns in the reinforced concrete frame shown
in Fig. are braced in the y direction.
Braced Column Unbraced Column
 Braced column may be considered braced in a • Unbraced column may be considered unbraced in a
given plan if lateral stability of the structure as given plan if lateral stability of the structure as a whole is
provided by columns only.
a whole is provided by walls or bracing.

 Braced columns are not designed to resist lateral loads.  Unbraced columns are designed to resist lateral loads.

 In braced frames lateral loads like wind, earthquake, etc • In unbraced frames lateral loads like wind,
are resisted by some special arrangement like shear earthquake, etc are resisted by columns.
wall, bracings or special supports.

• Sideways or joint translation is not possible in such • Sideway or joint translation occurs in such columns.
columns.
• Braced columns have zero value of sway.  Unbraced columns are subjected to sway.

• Most of the steel structures are designed by this method. • Most of the RCC structures are design by this method.

• Braced columns are more resistant to Earthquake than • Unbraced columns are less resistant to Earthquake than
unbraced column. braced column.
 It is difficult to provide opening between two braced  It is easy to provide opening between two unbraced
columns. columns.
 Used in tube structures where multistory buildings are • Used in RCC framed structures where low story buildings
to be constructed. are to be constructed.

 Structural System having bracing are mostly used in  Structural System without bracing are mostly used in
important/special structures. general structures.
EFFECTIVE HEIGHT
 The effective height (le) of a column in a given
Plane is obtained by multiplying the clear height
between lateral restraints (l0) by a coefficient
(β)which is a function of the fixity at the column
ends and is obtained from Table 3.19 BS 8110
 End condition 1 signifies that the column end is fully restrained.
 End condition 2 signifies that the column end is partially restrained
and end condition
 3 signifies that the column end is nominally restrained.
Example Classification of a concrete column
Determine if the column shown in the figure is short.
SHORT BRACED COLUMN
 For design purposes, BS 8110 divides
short-braced columns into three
categories. These are:
1. columns resisting axial loads only;
2. columns supporting an approximately
symmetrical arrangement of beams;
3. columns resisting axial loads and uniaxial
or biaxial bending.
 column B2 supports beams which are equal in length and
symmetrically arranged. Provided the floor is uniformly
loaded, column B2 will resist an axial load only and is an
example category 1.
 Column C2 supports a symmetrical arrangement of
beams but which are unequal in length. Column C2
will, therefore, resist an axial load and moment
 However, provided that (a) the loadings on the
beams are uniformly distributed, and (b) the beam
spans do not differ by more than 15 per cent of the
longer, the moment will be small. Column C2
belongs to category 2
Columns belong to category 3 if conditions
(a) and (b) are not satisfied.
The moment here becomes significant and
the column may be required to resist an axial
load and uni-axial bending, e.g. columns A2,
B1, B3, C1, C3 and D2, or an axial loads and
biaxial bending, e.g. A1, A3, D1 and D3.
Axially loaded columns (clause 3.8.4.3,
BS 8110)
 Both longitudinal steel and all the concrete assist in
carrying the load.
 The ultimate load N which can be supported by the
column is the sum of the loads carried by the
concrete (Fc) and the reinforcement (Fs), i.e

 To allow for a small eccentricity BS 8110 reduces

the design stresses by about 10 per cent, giving the
following expression:
 SHORT BRACED COLUMN DESIGN
Practical design provisions
The following practical considerations with regard
to design of columns are extracted from BS8110:
Part 1, section 3.12. The minimum number of
longitudinal bars in a column section is four.
Minimum percentage of reinforcement
The minimum percentage of reinforcement is given
in Table 3.25 of the code for both grade 250 and
grade 500 reinforcement as
100Asc/Acc=0.4
Where Asc is the area of steel in compression and
Acc is the area of concrete in Compression.
 Maximum area of reinforcement
Clause 3.12.6.2 states that the maximum area of
reinforcement should not exceed 6% of the gross
cross-sectional area of a vertically cast column except
at laps where 10% is permitted
Requirements for links
Clause 3.12.7 covers containment of compression
reinforcement:
1. The diameter of links should not be less than 6 mm
or one-quarter of the diameter of the largest
longitudinal bar;
2. The maximum spacing is to be 12 times the
diameter of the smallest longitudinal bar;
3. The links should be arranged so that every
corner bar and each alternate bar in an outer layer
is supported by a link passing round the bar and
having an included angle of not more than 135°.
No bar is to be further than 150 mm from a
restrained bar.
Compression laps and butt joints
 Clause 3.12.8.15 of the code states that the length of
compression laps should be 25% greater than the
compression anchorage length.
 Compression lap lengths are given in Table 3.27 of
the code Laps in columns are located above the base
and floor levels.
 Clause 3.12.8.16.1 of the code also states that the
load in compression bars may be transferred by end
bearing of square sawn cut ends held by couplers.
Welded butt joints can also be made (clause
3.12.8.17).
Columns supporting an approximately symmetrical
arrangement of beams
(clause 3.8.4.4, BS 8110)
 Where the column is subject to an axial load and ‘small’
moment, the latter is taken into account simply by
decreasing the design stresses by around 10 per cent,
giving the following expression for the load carrying
capacity of the column:
Example 1.Sizing a concrete column (BS 8110)
A short-braced column in which fcu = 30 Nmm−2 and fy = 500 Nmm−2
is required to support an ultimate axial load of 2000 kN. Determine a
suitable section for the column assuming that the area of longitudinal
steel, Asc, is of the order of 3 per cent of the gross cross-sectional area
of column, Acol.
 Since the column is axially loaded

 Assuming that the column is square

300 mm square column constructed of

concrete fcu = 30 Nmm−2 would be suitable
Columns resisting axial load and bending
The area of longitudinal steel for columns
resisting axial loads and uniaxial or biaxial
bending is normally calculated using the
design charts in Part 3 of BS 8110.
 Design charts are available for concrete
grades 25,30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 and
reinforcement grade 500.
 For a specified concrete and steel strength
there is a series of charts for different d/h
ratios in the range 0.75 to 0.95 in 0.05
increments.
 For a range of neutral axis depths the tensile and
compressive forces acting on the section are calculated.
The size of these forces can be evaluated using the
assumptions previously outlined in connection with the
analysis of beam sections (3.9.1.1), namely:
1. Sections that are plane before loading remain plane
after loading.
2. The tensile and compressive stresses in the steel
reinforcement are derived from (Fig. 2.2, BS 8110). (
chanakya arya).
3. The compressive stresses in concrete are based on
either the rectangular-parabolic stress block for
concrete (Fig. 2.1, BS 8110) or the equivalent
rectangular stress block (Fig. 3.16(e) chanakya arya.).
4. The tensile strength of concrete is zero.
Example
Determine whether the column section shown in Figure is capable of
supporting an axial load of 200 kN and a moment about the x–x axis
of 200 kNm by calculating the load and moment capacity of the
section when the depth of neutral axis of the section, x = ∞, 200 mm
and 350 mm. Assume fcu = 35 Nmm-2 and fy = 500 Nmm-2.
LOAD AND MOMENT CAPACITY OF COLUMN x = ∞
 Assuming the simplified stress block for concrete, the stress and
strain distributions in the section will be

 The compressive force in the concrete, Fcc, neglecting the area

displaced by the reinforcement is
LOAD AND MOMENT CAPACITY OF COLUMN WHEN X = 200
mm. The figure shows the stress and strain distributions when
x = 200 mm.
LOAD AND MOMENT CAPACITY OF COLUMN WHEN X = 350 mm. The
figure shows the stress and strain distributions when x = 350 mm.
By dividing the axial loads and moments calculated in (i)–
(iii) by bh and bh2 respectively, the following values
obtain:

The figure shows a plot of the results. By calculating N/bh

and M/bh2 ratios for the design axial load (= 200 kN)
andmoment (= 200 kNm) (respectively 16.7 and 4.2)
The results show that the column section is incapable of supporting the design loads
REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
(i) Longitudinal reinforcement
(ii) links.
Longitudinal reinforcement
(a) Size and minimum number of bars (clause 3.12.5.4,
BS 8110).
 Columns with rectangular cross-sections should be
reinforced with a minimum of four longitudinal bars;
 Columns with circular cross-sections should be
reinforced with a minimum of six longitudinal bars.
Each of the bars should not be less than 12 mm in
diameter.
(b) Reinforcement areas (clause 3.12.5, BS 8110).
 The code recommends that for columns with a gross
cross-sectional area Acol, the area of longitudinal
reinforcement (Asc) should lie within the following
limits:

Size and spacing of links. Links should be at least one-quarter of

the size of the largest longitudinal bar or 6 mm, whichever is the
greater.
 However, in practice 6 mm bars may not be freely available
and a minimum bar size of 8 mm is preferable.
(c) Spacing of reinforcement.
 The minimum distance between adjacent bars should not be
less than the diameter of the bars or hagg + 5 mm.
 where hagg is the maximum size of the coarse aggregate.
The code does not specify any limitation with regard to the
maximum spacing of bars, but for practical reasons it should
not normally exceed 250 mm.
Links (clause 3.12.7, BS 8110)
 The axial loading on the column may cause buckling of the
longitudinal reinforcement and subsequent cracking and
spalling of the adjacent concrete cover.
 In order to prevent such a situation from occurring, the
longitudinal steel is normally laterally restrained at regular
intervals by links passing round the bars.