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Performance of columns
Figure 1
The slenderness of a column depends on the height or length, the shape and size of its crosssection and how the ends are supported (pinned or fixed or a combination of both).
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The effective length is the actual length of a column multiplied by a factor related to the end
fixing of the column. These factors are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2
For rectangular section the slenderness ratio is taken as the effective length divided by the
least width because of the relationship between I and A.
Steel columns are usually not of solid rectangular cross-section and therefore the least radius
of gyration must be used instead of the least width.
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Material
The load carrying capacity also depends on the material of which the columns are made.
Concrete columns are stronger than timber post and steel is superior to concrete. Structural
steel has a strength of 300 MPa, the strength of concrete range between 15 MPa and 100
MPa and the strength of timber varies between the species. Structural timber is usually stress
graded and the grade according to the timber framing code ranges from F5 (5 MPa) to F34
(34 MPa).
Eccentricity
The load should be directly axial applied to columns to avoid bending. The stress in the
column can then be easily calculated by using the well known formula
However, often the load is not axial applied but off centre (eccentric) and bending stress is
induced as well as a direct compressive stress. The bending stress must then be added to the
direct stress to make up the combined stress
If the load is not axially applied then the moment times the eccentricity (P e) must be added
to the compressive stress as shown in the example below. If the load is not applied on one of
the x-x or y-y axis then all four corner of the column may have different magnitude of stress.
Figure 4
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Note how the form of the stress prism changes from an even distribution to a very uneven
distribution.
The case at (a)t illustrates how the axial load creates a compressive stress which is evenly
distributed across the column's section. The load on each column to the right has an increasing
eccentricity. As the load moves away from the centroidal axis, it introduces a bending
moment which the column's cross-section must also resist. One side of the column receives
more compression than the other. As long as the applied load remains within the core (middle
third) of the section, as shown in (b), the column cross-section will only have compressive
stresses. In (c) P is exactly acting on the middle third border. the stress on the opposite face of
the pier is zero. However, as soon as the P moves out of the core tension stresses are
introduced as can be seen in (d). The magnitude of the bending moment that the section must
also resist increases as the eccentricity increases.
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