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STEEL CONSTRUCTION:
ELEMENTS

Lecture 7.10.1: Beam Columns I

OBJECTIVE/SCOPE
To introduce the principles of beam-column behaviour and design through the concepts of
the interaction of the compressive and bending load components.
PREREQUISITES
Simple bending theory
Lecture 7.2: Cross-Section Classification
Lectures 7.5: Columns
Lectures 7.8: Restrained Beams
RELATED LECTURES
Lecture 7.11: Frames
RELATED WORKED EXAMPLES
Worked Example 7.10: Beam Columns
SUMMARY
This lecture explains the basic concepts of interaction between bending and compression
effects by concentrating on uniaxial, in-plane behaviour. This permits topics such as
amplification of moments, interaction formulae and the use of compressive resistance and
bending resistance to be discussed without the complication of requiring consideration of
torsion and out-of-plane response.

1. INTRODUCTION
Beam-columns are defined as members subject to combined bending and compression. In
principle, all members in frame structures are actually beam-columns, with the particular
cases of beams (F = 0) and columns (M = 0) simply being the two extremes. Depending
upon the exact way in which the applied loading is transferred into the member, the form

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of support provided and the member's cross-sectional shape, different forms of response
will be possible.
The simplest of these involves bending applied about one principal axis only, with the
member responding by bending solely in the plane of the applied moment. Only this case
will be considered in this lecture; more complex behaviour is covered in Lecture 7.10.2.

2. CROSS-SECTIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Figure 1 shows a point somewhere along the length of an H-shape column where the
applied compression and moment about the y-axis produce the uniform and varying stress
distributions shown in Figures 1a and 1b.

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For elastic behaviour the principle of superposition may be used to simply add the two
stress distributions as shown in Figure 1c. First yield will therefore develop at the edge
where the maximum compressive bending stress occurs and will correspond to the
condition:
fy = c + b

(1)

where:
fy - is the material yield stress
c = N/A - is the stress due to the compressive load N

b =

- is the maximum compressive stress due to the moment M, h is the

overall depth of section and, I is the second moment of area about
the y axis.

Alternatively, if full plasticity is allowed to occur, then the failure condition will be as
shown in Figure 2 and the combination of axial load and moment giving this condition
will be:
a. For

yn (h-2tf)/2
NM = 2fytwyn

neutral axis in web

(2)
b. For

MN = fybtf (h-tf) + fy
yn > (h-2tf)/2

tw
neutral axis in flange

NM = fy
(3)
MN =

tf

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Figure 3 compares Equations (2) and (3) with the approximation used in Eurocode 3 [1]
of:
MNy = Mpl.y (1 - n) / (1 - 0,5a)
in which
n = NSd / Npl.Rd - is the ratio of axial load to "squash" load (fy A)
a = (A - 2btf)/A 0,5

(4)

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Further simplifications and approximations for a range of common cross-sectional shapes

are provided in Table 1. In all cases the value of MN should, of course, not exceed that of
Mpl.

3. OVERALL STABILITY
The treatment of cross-sectional behaviour in the previous section took no account of the
exact way in which the moment M at the particular cross-section under consideration was
generated. Figure 4 shows a beam-column undergoing lateral deflection as a result of the
combination of compression and equal and opposite moments applied at the ends.

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The moment at any point within the length may conveniently be regarded as being
composed of two parts:
primary moment

secondary moment

Nv

Analysing this problem elastically using strut theory gives the maximum deflection at the
centre as:

vmax =

where PEy =

(5)

- is the Euler load for major axis buckling

and the maximum moment is:

Mmax =

(6)

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In both equations the secant term may be replaced by noting that the first order deflection
(due to the end moments M acting alone) and the first order moment M - determined by
ordinary beam theory - are approximately amplified by the term:
1/(1 - N/PEy)

(7)

as shown in Figure 5.

Thus:
vmax = (ML2/8EIy) {1/[1 - N/PEy]}

(8)

Mmax =

(9)

Since the maximum elastic stress will be:

max = c + b M/Mmax
Equation (10) may be rewritten as:

(10)

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= 1,0

(11)

Equation (11) may be solved for values of c and b that just cause yield, taking different
values of PEy (which is dependent on slenderness L/ry). This gives a series of curves, as
shown in Figure 6, which indicate that as b 0, c tends to the value of material
strength fy. Thus Equation (11) does not recognise the possibility of buckling under pure
axial load at a stress Ey given by:
Ey = PEy / A
= 2EIy/AL2 = 2Ey/2

(12)
(13)

Use of both Equation (11) and Equation (12) ensures that both conditions are covered as
shown in Figure 7.

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4. TREATMENT IN DESIGN CODES

Equations (11) and (13) are written in terms of stresses and originate from the concept of
"failure" being defined as either the attainment of first yield or elastic buckling of the
perfect member. Limit state design codes normally take ultimate load as the design
criterion when considering resistance under static loading. Thus these equations must be
re-written in terms of forces and moments. In doing this it is also necessary to make some
allowance for those effects present in real steel structures that have not so far been
explicitly allowed for, e.g. initial lack of straightness, residual stresses, etc.. For
consistency in design it is, of course, essential that the interaction equation for combined
loading reduces down to the column and beam design procedures as moment and axial
load respectively reduce to zero.
The approach taken in Eurocode 3 [1] (assuming bending about the y-axis) is to use:

1
in which y - is the reduction factor for column buckling
ky - is a coefficient
The value of ky depends in a rather complex way on:

the level of axial load as measured by the ratio NSd/yAfy.

the member slenderness y.

(14)

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the margin between the cross-section's plastic and elastic section moduli (Wpl and
Wel).
the pattern of primary moments.

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5. EFFECT OF PATTERN OF PRIMARY MOMENTS

Figure 4 showed how, for the particular case of equal and opposite end moments, the
primary moments are amplified due to the effect of the axial load N acting through the
lateral displacements v. When the pattern of primary moment is different the two effects
will not be so directly additive since maximum primary and secondary moments will not
necessarily occur at the same location. Figure 11 illustrates the situation for end moments
M and M, where can adopt values between +1 (uniform single curvature) and -1
(double curvature). The particular case shown corresponds to a value -0,5.
For the case illustrated the maximum moment still occurs within the member length but
the situation is clearly less severe than that of Figure 4 assuming all conditions to be
identical apart from the value of . It is customary to recognise this in design by reducing
the contribution of the moment term to the interaction relationship. Thus in Eurocode 3
"ky" in Equation (14) depends upon the ratio , as already shown in Figure 10. The exact
way in which this should be implemented is explained in Clause 5.5.4 and Figure 5.5.3 of
Eurocode 3 [1].
Since the case of uniform single curvature moment is the most severe, it follows that a
safe simplification is always to use the procedure for = 1.0.

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Returning to Figure 11, it is possible for the point of maximum moment to be at the end at
which the larger primary moment is applied. This would usually occur if the axial load
was small and/or slenderness was low so that secondary bending effects were relatively
slight. In such cases design will be controlled by the need to ensure adequate crosssectional resistance at this end. The formula from Table 1, for the particular shape of
cross-section being used, should therefore be employed. In cases where only the uniform
moment ( = 1,0) arrangement is being considered, the overall bucking check of
Equation (14) will always be more severe than (or in the limit equal to) the cross-sectional
check.

6. CONCLUDING SUMMARY

The main features of the behaviour and design of beam-columns have been
presented within the context of members subject to uniaxial bending, whose
response is such that deformation takes place only in the plane of the applied
moments.
For the cross-section, the interaction of normal force and bending may be treated
elastically using the principle of superposition or plastically using equilibrium and
the concept of stress blocks.
When considering the member as a whole, secondary bending effects must be
allowed for.
Strut analysis may be used as a basis for examining the role of the main
controlling parameters.

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Design is normally based on the use of an interaction equation, an essential feature

of which is the resistance of the component as a beam and as a column.

7. REFERENCES
[1] Eurocode 3: "Design of Steel Structures": ENV 1993-1-1: Part 1.1: General rules and
rules for buildings, CEN, 1992.

8. ADDITIONAL READING
1. Chen, W. F. and Atsuta, T., "Theory of Beam-Columns" Vol. 1, McGraw-Hill,
1976.
Comprehensive treatment of the beam-column problem for the in-plane case, with
an emphasis on methods of analysis for the determination of the maximum load
carrying capacity.
2. Trahair, N. S. and Bradford, M. A., "Behaviour and Design of Steel Structures",
2nd edition, Chapman and Hall, 1988.
Chapter 7 refers to beam-columns, including a comparison of the subject's
treatment in three design codes (not including Eurocode 3).
3. Ballio, G. and Mazzolani, F. M., "Theory and Design of Steel Structures",
Chapman and Hall, 1983.
Gives basis of original European approaches to the use of interaction formulae,
including derivations.
4. Galambos, T. V., "Guide to Stability Deign Criteria for Metal Structures", 4th
edition, Wiley Interscience.
Chapter 8 presents a comprehensive review of theoretical, experimental and
design-oriented contributions to the topic of beam-column behaviour.
5. Dowling, P. J., Owens, G. W. and Knowles, P., "Structural Steel Design",
Butterworths, 1988.
Chapter 24 deals with beam-column behaviour and design, including explanations
of the physical significance of the concepts of interaction and slenderness.
6. Nethercot, D. A., "Limit State Design of Structural Steelwork", 2nd edition,
Chapman and Hall, 1991.
Chapter 6 deals with beam-column behaviour and design.

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Table 1 Expressions for reduced plastic moment resistance MN
Cross-Section

Expression for MN

Rolled I or H

MN,y = 1,11 Mpl.y (1-n)

MNz = 1,56Mpl.z (1-n)(n+0,6)

Square hollow
section

MN = 1,26Mpl(1-n)

Rectangular
hollow section

MNy = 1,33Mpl.y(1-n)

MNz = Mpl.z(1-n)/(0,5 + ht/A)

Circular hollow
section

MN = 1,04Mpl(1-n1,7)