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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
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.
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.