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Clean Columns V3.1

Least weight is not least cost.

Least weight is not least cost.

Least weight is not least cost.

AISC has been saying this for years. Now we'd like to show you.
Clean Columns calculates the
lightest column section
required to eliminate stiffener
and doubler plates.

Enter Now

Puc
V us

Beam/Girder

Column
Mu

P ub

Pub

Mu
Transverse Stiffeners,
if Required

V us
Puc

Column Panel-Zone
Location of Doubler
Plates, if Required

Talk to your favorite fabricator, or consult chapter 3 of Design Guide 13 for more
information on the cost of stiffener and doubler plates.
Comments? Questions? Visit us online at www.aisc.org/ASKAISC or
contact us at solutions@aisc.org or toll free at 866.ASK.AISC

This spreadsheet has been prepared by AISC Marketing in accordance with recognized engineering
principles and information made available to AISC at the time of its preparation. While it is believed to be
accurate, it has not been prepared for conventional use as an engineering or construction document and
should not be used or relied upon for any specific application without competent professional
examination and verification of its accuracy, suitability and applicability by a licensed engineer, architect
or other professional. AISC disclaims any liability arising from the unauthorized use of the information
contained in this spreadsheet.

Project:
Client:

Sample Project

Engineer:
Remarks:

Senior Engineer
Remarks on this connection evaluation

4/22/2016

Client

Clean Columns V3.1 was developed to return the lightest column section which can be used without stiffeners and/or doubler plates to develop a
specified percentage of a selected beam's plastic moment capacity, based on the criteria in AISC Design Guide Series #13. The design of the column for
axial load capacity is not considered.

1) Verify the Following Assumptions:

The effects of composite floor construction are not included in analysis

P uc
V us

Wind or low seismic applications (Structure is designed to meet the

requirements in the LRFD Specification with no special seismic
detailing)
dm = d - tf (used to convert the beam moment into flange forces)

Column
Mu

Panel-zones remain nominally in the elastic range

N = beam flange thickness (w = 0, ie. no reinforcing fillet weld included)

Pub

Welded flange or flange plate connections only. May be overly

conservative for end-plate moment connections
2) Provide the Following Parameters:
Fyc =
50 ksi
Column Specified Minimum Yield Strength
Fyb =

50 ksi

Beam Specified Minimum Yield Strength

Vus =

45 kips

Factored Column Story Shear

Puc =

1200 kips

Pub =

5 kips
Factored Beam Axial Load
80% ofMp
Factored Bending Moment in Beams as a
percentage of the Beam's Plastic Moment Strength

Mu =

Beam/Girder
Transverse Stiffeners,
if Required

V us
Puc

Column Panel-Zone
Location of Doubler
Plates, if Required

Factored Column Axial Load

3) Select a Beam using the pulldown menus below:

Nominal Depth

W24

Beam Section

W24x55

4) Choose a Connection Configuration:

Beam Connected on One Side Only

* Group 4 or 5 Shape
6) Beam Properties
Mp =

5) Verify the Connection Location:

503 kip-ft

Plastic Moment Strength

Mu =

402 kip-ft

Factored Beam End Moment

Beams are not Connected Near the Top of the Column

Puf =

212 kips

Factored Flange Force

Vu =

167 kips

Factored Total Panel-Zone Shear Force

3.0 in

7) Column Design Results:

Lightest
W10

Lightest
W12

Lightest
W14

Lightest
W16

Lightest
W18

No Stiffener
Plates Required

W10x77

W12x96

W14x120

W16x89

W18x97

No Doubler
Plates Required

--

W12x120

W14x132

--

W18x106

No Stiffener
Plates or Doubler
Plates Required

--

W12x120

W14x132

--

W18x106

Keep in mind that columns larger than W14x426* may not

be produced domestically.
www.aisc.org

This spreadsheet has been prepared in accordance with recognized engineering principles and information made available to AISC at the time of its preparation. While
it is believed to be accurate, it has not been prepared for conventional use as an engineering or construction document and should not be used or relied upon for any
specific application without competent professional examination and verification of its accuracy, suitability and applicability by a licensed engineer, architect or other
professional. AISC disclaims any liability arising from the unauthorized use of the information contained in this document.

Project:
Client:

Sample Project

Engineer:
Remarks:

Senior Engineer
Remarks on this connection evaluation

4/22/2016

Client

Clean Column Design Calculations for a W14x398* Column

I) Force Transfer in Unreinforced Columns
Puc

A) Required Strength for Local Flange and Web Limit States

Vus

Design for a W24x55 Beam with 80% of the Nominal Plastic Moment
Strength (503 kip-ft) Transferred to the Column
Mu =

402 kip*ft

Pub =

5 kips
23.57 in

d=
tf =

Column

Factored Beam End Moment

Mu

Factored Beam Axial Load

Beam Depth

0.505 in
dm = 23.065 in

P ub

Beam Flange Thickness

Moment Arm between Flange Forces

Beam/Girder

d m=dt f
Puf =

212 kips

Puf =

Transverse Stiffeners,
if Required

Factored Beam Flange Force

(tension or compression)

Column Panel-Zone
Location of Doubler
Plates, if Required

P uc

M u Pu b

dm
2

Figure 1. Exterior Column

B) Required Strength for Panel-Zone Shear

Moment Connected Beam on One Side Only
Vus =
45 kips
Factored Column Story Shear
Vu =

Vus

Puf

(Tension)

167 kips
Factored Total Panel Zone Shear Force
For a column with only one moment connected beam

dm

Mu

Pub

V u =Puf V us
For a column with two moment connected beams

Puf

V u =2Puf V us

(Compression)

II) Design Strength of an Unreinforced Column

t f /2

FIgure 2. Beam Flange Forces

Design Check for Column Section: W14x398*

Fy =

50 ksi

dtop =

Column Minimum Specified Steel Yield Strength

Distance from the column end to the top flange of the beam(s)

DNA

A) Panel-Zone Shear Strength

For Calculation Purposes, the behavior of the panel zone remains
nominally within the elastic range.
Puc =
1200 kips
Factored Column Axial Load
dc = 18.29 in
Column Depth
tw =
A=
Py =

1.77 in
117.0 in2

Column web thickness

Column Area

5850 kips

Column Yield Strength

874 kips

tf =

R v =0.9x0.6F y d c t w

For P u >0. 4 P y

R v =0 . 9x0. 6F y d c t w 1 . 4

Pu
Py

Rn =

1.0

2276 kips

Column Flange Thickness

= 0.5 if the distance from the end of the column to the closer face of the
beam tension flange is less than 10t f
= 1.0 otherwise
Local Flange Bending Design Strength

R n =0 . 9x6. 25t 2f F y xCt

Puf

P uf

Figure 3. Panel-Zone Shear

For P u 0 .4P y

2.85 in

Vu

V us

Panel-Zone Shear Design Strength

B) Local Flange Buckling

Ct =

P uf

Puf

P y =F y A
Rv =

V us

C) Local Web Yielding

For calculations purposes, no fillet weld or groove weld reinforcement was used.
N=
tw =

0.505 in

dc =

18.29 in

Ct =

1.0

k=
Rn =

Beam or flange plate thickness

1.77 in

3.50 in

Column Web Thickness

Column Depth
= 0.5 if the distance from the end of the column to the closer face of the
beam tension flange is less than dc
= 1.0 otherwise
Distance from the outside face of column flange to the web toe
of the flange-to-web fillet

1593 kips

Local Web Yielding Design Strength

R n =1. 0 x {Ct (5k )+N } xF y t w

D) Web Crippling
For calculations purposes, no fillet weld or groove weld reinforcement was used.
N=
tw =

0.505 in

dc =

18.29 in

tf =

2.85 in

Beam or flange plate thickness (w=0 because no reinforcing welds are present)

1.77 in

Ct =

1.0

Nd =

0.08

Column Web Thickness

Column Flange Thickness

= 0.5 if the distance from the end of the column to the closer face of the
beam tension flange is less than d c/2
= 1.0 otherwise
= 3N/dc if the distance from the column end to the closer face of the beam
tension flange is either: (1) greater than or equal to d c/2; or, (2) less than
dc/2 and N/dc is less than or equal to 0.2.

2959 kips

Figure 4. Illustration of parameters N

and W

4N
0 . 2 otherwise
dc

Web Crippling Design Strength

{ ( ) }

R n =0 .75 x 135C t t 2w 1+ N d

tw

1. 5

tf

F y tf
tw

E) Compression Buckling of the Web

Buckling is checked for a single compressive force applied at the column flange.
tw =

1.77 in

dc =
k=

18.29 in
3.50 in

Ct =

1.0

h=

11.29 in

Column Web Thickness

Column Depth
Distance from the outside face of column flange to the web toe
of the flange-to-web fillet
= 0.5 if the distance from the end of the column to the closer face of the
beam tension flange is less than d c/2
= 1.0 otherwise
Zone of column web subject to compression buckling (out-of-plane)

h=d c 2k
Rn =

Column Depth

=
Rn =

Reinforcing
Fillet Weld

12816 kips

Compression Buckling Design Strength

3

R n =0 . 90 x

4100C t t w F y
h

III) Column Design Summary:

W14x398*

A) Doubler Plates Required if Vu> Rv

Factored Total Panel Zone
Shear Force, Vu =

167 kips

Panel-Zone Shear Strength,

Rv =

874 kips

No Doubler Plates are Required. 19% of Column Capacity

B) Stiffener Plates are Required if P uf >Rn
Local Flange Bending Design
Strength =
Local Web Yielding Design
Strength =
Web Crippling Design Strength =

Factored Beam Flange Force,

Puf =

212 kips

2276 kips
1593 kips
2959 kips

Compression Buckling Design

Strength =

12816 kips

Rn =

1593 kips

No Stiffener Plates are Required. 13% of Column Capacity

tw

tf

W18x311*
W18x283*
W18x258*
W18x234*
W18x211*
W18x192
W18x175
W18x158
W18x143
W18x130

in2
91.5
83.2
75.9
68.8
62.1
56.4
51.3
46.3
42.1
38.2

in.
22.32
21.85
21.46
21.06
20.67
20.35
20.04
19.72
19.49
19.25

15.45
15.48
15.46
15.56
15.55
15.48
15.54
15.47
15.49
15.50

in.
1.52
1.4
1.28
1.16
1.06
0.96
0.89
0.81
0.73
0.67

in.
2.74
2.5
2.3
2.11
1.91
1.75
1.59
1.44
1.32
1.2

in.
3 7/16
3 3/16
3
2 3/ 4
2 9/16
2 7/16
2 1/ 4
2 1/ 8
2
1 7/ 8

W18x119
W18x106
W18x97
W18x86
W18x76

35.1
31.1
28.5
25.3
22.3

18.97
18.73
18.59
18.39
18.21

15.47
15.48
15.47
15.52
15.46

0.655
0.59
0.535
0.48
0.425

1.06
0.94
0.87
0.77
0.68

1
1
1
1
1

W18x71
W18x65
W18x60
W18x55
W18x50

20.8
19.1
17.6
16.2
14.7

18.47
18.35
18.24
18.11
17.99

15.47
15.48
15.49
15.49
15.49

0.495
0.45
0.415
0.39
0.355

0.81
0.75
0.695
0.63
0.57

1
1
1
1
1

W18x46
W18x40
W18x35

13.5
11.8
10.3

18.06
17.9
17.7

15.56
15.53
15.45

0.36
0.315
0.3

0.605
0.525
0.425

Designation

Rn

Rn

Rn

5933
4627
3539
2617
1999
1492
1184
896
655
506

kips
1345
1151
992
827
706
609
523
451
383
331

kips
916
826
742
660
592
514
449
380
319
269

kips
916
826
742
660
592
514
449
380
319
269

kips
4575
4160
3795
3440
3105
2820
2565
2315
2105
1910

406
327
272
217
170

474
346
258
186
130

303
249
213
167
130

240
187
150
108
68

240
187
150
108
68

1755
1555
1425
1265
1115

198
173
153
138
120

233
194
166
144
119

205
154
120
100
75

185
154
120
100
75

61
32
7
-16
-40

61
32
7
-16
-40

1040
955
880
810
735

122
101
92

125
95
81

78
53
46

78
53
46

-66
-97
-133

-66
-97
-133

675
590
515

PZ Shear Str.
Rv (kips)

LFB
Rn (kips)

LWY
Rn (kips)

WC
Rn (kips)

CBW
Rn (kips)

916
826
742
660
592
514
449
380
319
269

2112
1758
1488
1252
1026
861
711
583
490
405

1345
1151
992
827
706
609
523
451
383
331

2283
1930
1618
1337
1113
918
782
647
529
444

3/ 4
5/ 8
9/16
7/16
3/ 8

240
187
150
108
68

316
249
213
167
130

303
255
222
185
157

1/ 2
7/16
3/ 8
5/16
1/ 4

61
32
7
-16
-40

185
158
136
112
91

1 1/ 4
1 3/16
1 1/ 8

-66
-97
-133

103
78
51

Py