AXIALLY LOADED COMPRESSION

MEMBERS
INTRODUCTION
SECTIONS FOR COMPRESSION MEMBERS
MODE OF FAILURE OF COMPRESSION MEMBERS
COLUMN THEORY
END RESTRAINT AND EFFECTIVE LENGTH
STIFFINED AND UNSTIFFENED ELEMENTS
CLASSIFICATION OF COLUMNS AS TO MODE OF
FAILURE
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSION SECTIONS FOR
LOCAL BUCKLING
AISC COLUMN FORMULA
DESIGN OF COMPRESSION MEMBERS
INTRODUCTION
 Compression members are structural elements
that are subjected only to axial compressive forces;
i.e. the loads are applied along a longitudinal axis
through the centroid of the member cross section
and the stress can be taken as f = P/A, where f is
considered uniform over the entire cross section
 Most common type of compression member occurring in
buildings and bridges is the column, a vertical member
whose primary function is to support vertical loads
 In many instances these members are also called upon to
resist bending, and in theses cases the member is a
beam-column
 Compression members are also used in trusses and as
components of bracing system
 Smaller compression members not classified as columns
are sometimes referred to as strut
SECTIONS FOR COMPRESSION MEMBERS
 Single members – for bracing and light
compression members for trusses
 Double Angle – for top chord members of bolted
roof trusses (unequal leg angles with LLBB)
 Structural Tees – for top chord of welded trusses
(no need of gusset plate)
 W Shapes – most common shape used for
building columns and compression members of
highway bridges
 HSS – Hollow Structural Sections (square,
rectangular or round)
• Often used as columns in long series of
windows, as short column in warehouses, as
column for roofs of covered walk-ways
• Round columns have advantage of being
equally rigid in all directions and are usually
very economical unless moments are too large
 Built-up sections – compression member
designed for very large structures
• Needed where the members are long and
support very heavy loads
• Must be connected on their open sides with
some type of lacing (also called lattice bars) to
hold the parts together in their proper positions
and to assist in acting together as a unit.
• Four Angle Box Section (i) – used in towers and
crane booms
• Pair of Channels (j), (k)- used as building column or
as a web member for large trusses
• Pair of Channels with cover plates on top and lacing
on the bottom (l)- used as top chord of bridge
trusses
Mode of Failure Compression Members
There are three general modes by which axially
loaded columns can fail
1. Flexural Buckling (also called Euler Buckling) –
members are subject to flexure or bending when
they become unstable
2. Local Buckling – occurs when some par or parts
of the cross section of a column are so thin that
they buckle locally in compression before the
other modes of buckling can occur.
 The susceptibility of a column to local buckling is
measured by the width-thickness ratio of the
parts of its cross section
3. Flexural Torsional Buckling – may occur in
columns that have certain cross-sectional
configurations. These columns fail by twisting
(torsion) or by a combination of torsional and
flexural buckling.
COLUMN THEORY
 Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) – Swiss
mathematician who developed the theory of
elastic column behavior

 Euler’s Column Buckling Formula

• gives the buckling load, Pe for a pin-ended,
homogenous, initially straight, long column of
an elastic material that is concentrically loaded
(Ideal Column)
 p EI 2
Pe = 2
l
 where:
• Pe = concentric load that will cause initial
buckling
• I = least moment of inertia
• L = length of column from pin end to pin end
• E = modulus of elasticity of steel
 p E
2
fe =
(l / r) 2

where:
• fe = Euler’s buckling stress
≤ proportional limit
• r = least radius of gyration
Sample Problem 1
a. A W 10x22 is used as a 15-ft long pin-ended
column. Using the Euler’s Formula, determine
the columns’ critical or buckling load. Assume
that the steel has a proportional limit of 36 ksi.
b. Repeat part (a) if the length of column is 8ft
For W 10x22:
Ag = 6.49 in2 ; rx = 4.27 in; ry = 1.33 in;
Sample Problem 2
Determine the Euler Stress and critical load for the pin-
connected column shown if it is 10m long. E = 200Gpa.
Assume A36 steel with a proportional limit of 200 MPa
END RESTRAINT AND EFFECTIVE LENGTH
FOR COLUMN
 To effectively use the Euler equation for practical
columns, the value of L should be the distance
between points of inflection in the buckled shape.
This distance is referred to as effective length of
the column
 In steel specifications, effective length of a
column is referred to as KL, where K is the
effective length factor.
 K is the number that must be multiplied by the
length of the column to find its effective length.

 Its magnitude depends on the rotational restraint

supplied at the ends of the column and upon the
resistance of the lateral movement provided

 Columns with different end conditions have

entirely different effective lengths
 The smaller the effective length of a particular
column, the smaller its danger of lateral buckling
and the greater its load-carrying capacity
CLASSIFICATION OF COLUMN ACCORDING
TO MODE OF FAILURE

 Long Columns
• columns that fail by
elastic buckling, where
buckling occurs at
compressive stresses
within the elastic range
 Intermediate Column
• columns that fail by
inelastic buckling when
localized yielding occurs
initiated at some point
of weakness or
crookedness
 Short Columns
• Short and stocky
columns which does
not fail by elastic
buckling. It will crush
due to general yielding
and compressive
stress will be in the
inelastic range.
STIFFENED AND UNSTIFFENED ELEMENTS
 When thin plates are used to carry compressive
stresses they are particularly susceptible to
buckling about their weak axes due to the small I
 AISC Specs listed two categories:
 Stiffened Elements – supported along two
edges parallel to the direction of the
compression force
 Unstiffened Elements - supported along only
one edge parallel to the direction of the
compression force
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSION
SECTIONS FOR LOCAL BUCKLING
 Compression sections are classified as either a non-
slender element or a slender element
• Non-slender Element – is one where the width-to-
thickness of its compression elements ≤ r
• Slender Element – is one where the width-to-
thickness of its compression elements > r
AISC COLUMN FORMULA
 The AISC Specification provides one equation for
long columns with elastic buckling and an
empirical parabolic equation for short and
intermediate columns.

 With these equations, a flexural buckling stress

Fcr is determined for a compression member.
 Once this stress is computed for a particular
member, it is multiplied by the cross-sectional area
to obtain its nominal strength
 The LRFD design strength and ASD allowable
strength may be determined as follows;
 The following expressions show how Fcr, the flexural
buckling stress of a column may be determined for
members without slender elements
 Maximum KL/r = 200
(compression member)
Sample Problem
1. A W 14 x 74 of A572 steel column has a length
of 20-ft and pin-ended. Compute the design
compressive strength for LRFD and the
allowable compressive strength for ASD
For W 14x74:
Ag = 21.80 in2 ; d= 14.17 in rx = 6.04 in; ry =
2.48 in; tf = 0.785 in; bf = 10.07 in;
k = 1.38in; tw = 0.45in

Pin – Ended; K = 1.0

A572; Fy = 50 ksi
E = 29000 ksi
Therefore Non – Slender
Unstiffened Element
Therefore Non – Slender
Stiffened Element
Sample Problem
2. Determine the LRFD design strength and the ASD
allowable strength for the axially loaded column
shown if KL = 19 ft and A572 steel is used.
Sample Problem
3. Determine the LRFD
design strength and
the ASD allowable
strength for the
axially loaded W
14x90 column shown.
A572 steel is used.
 The following expressions show how Fcr, the flexural
buckling stress of a column may be determined for
members with slender elements
where:
Q = 1.0 for members with compact and non-
compact section (w/o slender element sections)
= Qs Qa for members with slender sections
Refer to NSCP 2015 505.7 p.591
DESIGN OF AXIALLY LOADED COMPRESSION
MEMBERS
 The design of columns by formulas involves a
trial-and –error process
 The LRFD design stress and ASD Allowable Stress
are not until a column size is selected
1. A column size may be assumed, then r values for
that section obtained from manual or calculated
and the design stress found by substitution into
the appropriate formula
2. The designer may assume an LRFD design stress
or an ASD allowable stress and divide that stress
into the appropriate column load to give an
estimated column area
3. Effective slenderness ratio(KL/r) maybe assumed
• Average column of 10-15ft length will generally
fall between about 40-60
• The assumed the Kl/r is substituted to
appropriate column formula to determine the
design stress
• The designer may estimate (KL/r) value a little
higher than 40 to 60 if the column is
appreciably longer than 10-15ft range
• A very heavy factored load (750-1000kip) will
require a rather large column for which r will be
larger; designer may estimate a little smaller
value of (KL/r)
• For lightly loaded bracing members may
assume higher KL/r of 100 or more
 Systematic Approach to Specify Initial Trial Section
1. Assume value for the critical buckling stress Fcr.
Theoretically maximum value of Fcr = Fy
2. Determine the required area.
3. Select shape that satisfies the area requirement
4. Compute Fcr and the shape of the trial section
5. Revise if necessary. If the available strength is
very close to the required value, the next
tabulated size can be tried. Otherwise repeat the
entire procedure using the value of Fcr found for
the current trial shape as a value for step 1
6. Check local stability (width-thickness ratio). Revise
if necessary.
7. Check maximum slenderness ratio
Sample Design Problem

1. Select a W18 shape of A572 steel that can

resist a service dead load of 100 kips and a
service live load of 300 kips. The effective
length KL = 26 ft.
a. Using LRFD
b. Using ASD
Because the initial estimate of Fcr was so far off, assume
a value about halfway between 33 and 7.455 ksi. Try Fcr
= 20 ksi