DESIGN OF COLUMNS SUBJECT TO AXIAL LOAD AND BENDING

 Introduction

All columns are subjected to some bending as well as axial forces and they need to be
proportioned to resist both. The so-called “axial load” formulas presented in the previous
discussions takes into account some moments as they include the effect of small
eccentricities with the 0.80 and 0.85 factors. These values are approximately equivalent
to the assumption of actual eccentricities of 0.10h for tied columns and 0.05h for spiral
columns.
Columns will bend under the action of moments and those moments will tend to
produce compression on one side of the columns and tension on the other. Depending
on the relative magnitudes of the moments and axial loads there are several ways in
which the sections might fail. Figure 9.1 shows six possible cases or effects of a column
supporting a load Pn and these are briefly discussed in the paragraphs to follow.

(a) Large axial load with negligible moment. For this situation, failure will occur by
the crushing of the concrete with all reinforcing bars in the column having
reached their yield stress in compression.
(b) Large axial load and small moment such that the entire cross section is in
compression. When a column is subject to a small bending moment (that is,
when the eccentricity is small), the entire column will be in compression but
the compression will be higher on one side than the other. The maximum
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compressive stress in the column will be 0.85fc and failure will occur by the
crushing of the concrete with all the bars in compression.
(c) Eccentricity larger than in case (b) such that tension begins to develop on
one side of the column. If the eccentricity is increased somewhat from the
preceding case, tension will begin to develop on one side of the column and
the steel on that side will be in tension but less than the yield stress. On the
far side the steel will be in compression. Failure will occur by crushing of the
concrete on the compressive side.
(d) A balanced loading condition. As we continue to increase the eccentricity, a
condition will be reached at which the reinforcing bars on the tension side will
reach their yield stress at the same time that the concrete on the opposite
'
side reaches its maximum compression 0.85fc . This situation is called the
balanced loading condition.
(e) Large moment with small axial load. If the eccentricity is further increased,
failure will be initiated by the yielding of the bars on the tension side of the
column.
(f) Large moment with no appreciable axial load. For this condition, failure will
occur as it does in a beam.

95
 Pn

(a) Large axial load causes a crushing

failure of the concrete with all bars reaching
their yield points in compression.

Pn
e

(b) Large axial load and small moment

but entire cross section in compression.
Failure occurs by crushing of the concrete,
all bars in compression

Pn
e

(c) Large axial load, moment larger

than in (b). Bars on far side in tension but
have not yielded. Failure occurs by
crushing of the concrete.

Pn
e

(d) Balanced loading condition-bars on

tensile side yield at same time concrete on
compression side crushes at 0.85fc’.

Pn
e

(e) Large moment, relatively small

axial load-failure initiated by yielding of
tensile bars.

Mn

(f) Large bending moment-failure

occurs as in a beam

Figure 9.1 Column subject to load with larger and larger eccentricities.

96
  The Plastic Centroid

The eccentricity of a column load is the distance from the load to the plastic centroid of
the column. The plastic centroid represents the location of the resultant force produced
by the steel and the concrete. It is the point in the column cross section through which
the resultant column load must pass to produce uniform strain at failure.
For locating the plastic centroid, all concrete is assumed to be stressed in
compression to 0.85fc and all steel to fy in compression. For symmetrical sections the
'

plastic centroid coincides with the centroid of the column cross section, while for
nonsymmetrical sections it can be located by taking moments.

Example of Finding the Plastic Centroid

'
Determine the plastic centroid of the T-shaped column shown in Figure 9.2 if fc  27.6
MPa and fy  414 MPa. The column is reinforced with 4 – 25 mm  vertical bars.
y
Solution: x
The plastic centroid falls on the x- 100mm
axis as shown in Figure 9.2 due to
symmetry. The column is divided
into two rectangles the left one x
being 400mm x 150mm and the 200mm 400mm

right one 200mm x 200mm. C1 is

assumed to be the total
compression in the left concrete 100mm
rectangle, C2 the total
compression in the right rectangle,
75mm 75mm 125mm 75mm
and Cs the total compression in
the reinforcing bars. 150mm 200mm

Figure 9.2 Example on Plastic Centroid

1. Calculate C1 and C2,

C1  0.85fc' A1  0.85(27.6)(150)(400)10 3  1407.6 kN

C2  0.85fc' A 2  0.85(27.6)(200)(200)10 3  938.4 kN

2. Calculate Cs,

Note: In computing Cs, the concrete where the bars are located is
subtracted; that is,

A st   4     25   1963.5 mm2
2

4
C s  1963.5  414  0.85  27.6   10 3  766.8 kN
3. Calculate the total compression Pn,

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 Pn  1407.6  938.4  766.8  3112.8 kN

4. Calculate x by taking moments about the left edge of column,

 
3112.8 x  1407.6  75   938.4  250   766.8  175 
x  152.39 mm

 Analysis of Eccentrically Loaded Short Columns with Statics Equations

This section shows how statics equations may be used to determine the ultimate load
Pn at which any given short column will fail for a particular eccentricity. Statics equations
are applied to three different columns in this section to determine P n values.

1. A Column with a Large Eccentricity

In a case of a large eccentricity, the failure is assumed to be initiated by the yielding of
the tensile steel on the far side of the column.

Example.
'
Determine the value of P n for the column shown in Figure 9.3, with fc  20.7 and
fy  414 MPa. Assume e = 450 mm.

Location of Pn Pn

d’ =62.5mm Cs’ = As’fy

e = 450 mm 3 – 25mm a
 Cc = 0.85fc’ab

Plastic Centroid 475mm

d = 537.5 mm 600mm

3 – 25mm T=Asfy

62.5mm

350mm
Column Section Stress Diagram

Figure 9.3 Example of Large Eccentricity

Solution:

98
1. Calculate steel areas,

 
A s  A 's   3    252  1472.62 mm2
4
2. Calculate the forces assuming all bars have yielded,

Note:
Cc = the compression in the concrete
Cs’ = the force in the compression bars
T = the force in the tension bars

C c  0.85fc' ab  0.85  20.7  a  350  10 3  6.15825a kN

C's  A 's fy  1472.62  414  10 3  609.67 kN
T  A s fy  1472.62  414  10 3  609.67 kN

3. Calculate Pn in terms of a by equating the forces to zero, (see Figure 9.3)

Pn  C's  C c  T  0
Pn  609.67  6.15825a  609.67  0
Pn  6.15825a

4. Calculate a,

Note: Take moments about the tensile steel

 a
Pn  687.5   C c  537.5    C 's  475   0
 2
 a
6.15825a  687.5   6.15825a  537.5    609.67  475   0
 2
2
a  300a  94050.5  0
a  191.4 mm

5. Check whether all bars have yielded as initially assumed,

a 191.4
c   225.18 mm
0.85 0.85
600  d  c  600  537.5  225.18 
fs    832.2 MPa > fy  414 MPa Ok!
c 225.18
600  c  d '  600  225.18  62.5 
fs'    433.47 MPa > fy  414 MPa Ok!
c 225.18

6. Solve the load capacity Pn,

99
 Pn  6.15825  191.4   1178.69 kN Ans.

2. A Column with a Small Eccentricity

In a case of a small eccentricity, the tensile steel does not yield before the column fails.
Since the eccentricity is small and the load P n is located within the cross section, it is
logical to assume that failure is initiated by the crushing of the concrete.

Example.
'
Determine the value of P n for the column shown in Figure 9.4, with fc  20.7 and
fy  414 MPa. Assume e = 200 mm.

3 – 25mm d’ =62.5mm Cs’ = As’fs’


a Cc = 0.85fc’ab
Location of Pn Pn
e = 200 mm
475mm
d = 537.5 mm Plastic Centroid 600mm

3 – 25mm T=Asfs

62.5mm

350mm
Column Section Stress Diagram

Figure 9.4 Example of Small Eccentricity

Solution:

1. Calculate steel areas,


 
A s  A 's   3    252  1472.62 mm2
4
2. Calculate the forces,

Note: Assume fs  fy (compression steel yields) and fs  fy (tension

'

steel does not yield)

Cc  0.85fc' ab  0.85  20.7   0.85c   350  10 3  5.2345c kN
C's  A 's fy  1472.62  414  10 3  609.67 kN
 600  537.5  c   3
T  A s fs  1472.62   10 kN
 c 

3. Calculate Pn in terms of c by equating the forces to zero, (see Figure 9.4)

100
 Pn  C's  C c  T  0
 600  537.5  c  
Pn  609.67  5.2345c  1.4726  0
 c 
 600  537.5  c  
Pn  609.67  5.2345c  1.4726  
 c 
4. Calculate Pn in terms of c by taking moments about the centroid of tensile
steel, (see Figure 9.4)

 a
Pn  437.5   C c  537.5    C 's  537.5  62.5   0
 2
 0.85c 
Pn  437.5   5.2345c  537.5   609.67  475   0
 2 
Pn  661.927  6.431c  0.005085c 2

5. Equate the values of Pn,

661.927  6.431c  0.005085c 2 

 600  537.5  c  
609.67  5.2345c  1.4726  
 c 
c 3  235.3c 2  163481.4c  93394985.25  0

6. Solve c by the Newton-Raphson Method,

f  c   c 3  235.3c 2  163481.4c  93394985.25

f '  c   3c 2  470.6c  163481.4
try c1  405 , f  c   650024.25 , f '  c   464963.4
f(c) 650024.25
c 2  c1   405   403.6
f '(c) 464963.4
try c 2  403.6 , f  c   992.958 , f '  c   135263.32
f(c) 992.958
c3  c2   403.6   403.6
f '(c) 135263.32
Therefore, c = 403.6 mm

7. Check whether the compression bars have yielded as initially assumed,

101
 600  d  c  600  537.5  403.6 
fs    199.06 MPa < fy  414 MPa Ok!
c 403.6
600  c  d '  600  403.6  62.5 
fs'    507.09 MPa > fy  414 MPa Ok!
c 403.6

8. Solve the load capacity Pn,

Pn  661.927  6.431  403.6   0.005085  403.6 

2

Pn  2429.17 kN Ans.

3. Balanced Loading Condition

A column normally fails by either tension or compression. In between the two extremes
lies the so-called balanced load condition, where the failure may be of either type. The
definition of balanced loading for columns is the same as it was for beams - that is, a
column that has a strain of 0.003 on its compression side at the same time that its
tensile steel on the other side has a strain of fy / Es (Section 410.4.2 of the NSCP). For
every column there is a balanced loading situation where an ultimate load Pbn placed at
an eccentricity eb will produce a moment Mbn , at which time the balanced strains will
simultaneously be reached.

Example.
Determine the value of the balanced load P bn for the column shown in Figure 9.5,
with fc  20.7 and fy  414 MPa. Also compute the eccentricity at balanced
'

condition.

0.003
3 – 25mm d’ =62.5mm Cs’ = As’fs’ ’s = 0.00448

a Cc = 0.85fc’ab
c = 318.05 mm
Location of Pbn Pbn
eb d = 537.5 mm
475mm
Plastic Centroid 600mm
d-c = 219.45 mm
237.5 mm
3 – 25mm T=Asfy

62.5mm y = fy/Es = 0.00207

350mm
Column Section Stress Diagram Strain Diagram
Figure 9.5 Example of Balanced Condition

102
 Solution:

1. Calculate c from the strain diagram above (Figure .5),

0.003 fy / E s  0.003

c d
0.003d 0.003  537.5 
c   318.05 mm
fy / E s  0.003  414 / 200000   0.003

2. Calculate  's (the strain in the compression steel),

 's 0.003  0.003 
 ;  's     d  d' 
d  d' c  c 
 0.003 
 's     537.5  62.5   0.00448 >  y  0.00207
 318.05 
Therefore, compression steel has yielded.

3. Calculate steel areas,


 
A s  A 's   3    252  1472.62 mm2
4
4. Calculate the forces,

C c  0.85fc' ab  0.85  20.7   0.85x318.05   350  10 3  1664.84 kN

C's  A 's fy  1472.62  414  10 3  609.67 kN
T  A s fy  1472.62  414  10 3  609.67 kN

5. Calculate Balanced load, Pbn, by equating the forces to zero,

Pbn  C's  C c  T  0
Pbn  609.67  1664.84  609.67  0
Pbn  1664.84 kN Ans.

6. Calculate Balanced eccentricty, eb, by taking moments about the centroid of

tensile steel,
 a
Pbn  237.5  eb   C c  537.5    C 's  537.5  62.5   0
 2
 0.85x318.05 
1664.84  237.5  eb   1664.84  537.5    609.67  537.5  62.5   0
 2 
eb  338.78 mm Ans.
Discussions

103
If the value of Pn is greater than Pbn (that is, if e < eb), the ultimate capacity of the
column will be controlled by compression; if less than P bn (or e > eb), the ultimate
capacity will be controlled by tension.

It will be noted that the same theory could be used for round columns, but the
mathematics would be somewhat complicated because of the circular layout of the bars,
and the calculations of distances would be rather tedious. An approximate method was
developed by Whitney to greatly simplify the mathematics. In this method an equivalent
rectangular columns are used to replace the circular ones. The results of this method
correspond quite closely with test results. This method is illustrated in Figure 9.6.

Ds (2/3)Ds
0.8h

h Ag / 0.8h

Figure 9.6 Whitney’s Method of Equivalent

Rectangular Column

 Short Columns subjected to Biaxial Bending

Many columns are subjected to biaxial bending, that is, bending about both axes.
Corner columns in buildings where beams and girders frame into the columns from
both directions are the most common cases, but there are others, such as where
columns are cast monolithically as part of frames in both directions or where
columns are supporting heavy spandrel beams.

ex
Pu

ey

Figure 9.7 Column subjected to

Bending in Both Axes

104