Reinforced concrete columns

J. P. Forth

Types of columns
Short columns. Effective length/h < 12 (approx) Non-slender columns If lim Slender columns If lim lim Slenderness limit defined in EC2 Not included in this course.

Short columns.
Consider a squat column subject to an increasing axial load. Eventually the compressive strength of the column is exceeded and the column fails.
Effective length/h < 12 (approx)
h

Lo

Effective length of columns.

Effective length of a column
Equivalent length of a pin-ended strut subject to the same load and of identical cross section.

Effective length depends on

Deflected shape of the element End restraints

It is distance between points of contra flexure. Deflected shape depends on if structure is braced or not

Braced structure
N This section behaves as a pin ended strut N Pin ended strut

Points of contraflexure

l0

l0 = l

N Braced fixed ends

N Braced pinned ends

Unbraced structure all support conditions.

Only one point of contraflexure exists between element ends.

N Virtual point of contraflexure N sidesway Point of contraflexure N
Floor height = l l0

This section will behave as a pin ended strut

Code requirements effective length.

Theoretical conditions Braced frame Unbraced frame

Simplified method of determining effective length.

See - How to design concrete structures using Eurocode 2 : Columns Moss R and Brooker O, The Concrete Centre 2006. [l0 = l x factor]. End condition at top 1 (rigid) 2 (intermediate) 3 (pinned) End condition at bottom 1 (rigid) 0.75 0.8 0.90 2 (intermediate) 0.8 0.85 0.95 3 (pinned) 0.9 0.95 1.0

Key. Condition 1. Column connected monolithically to beams on each side that are at least as deep as the overall depth of the column in the plane considered. When the column is connected to a foundation, this should be designed to carry moment in order to satisfy this condition. Condition 2. Column connected monolithically to beams on each side that are shallower than the overall depth of the column in the plane considered by generally not less than half the column depth. Condition 3. Column connected to members that do not provide more than nominal restraint to rotation.

Table taken from Institution of Structural Engineers, Manual for the design of concrete structures to Eurocode 2, IStructE 2006.

Short column design

Compressive strength Based on concrete and steel reinforcement in the column No moment effects included Short columns :
Rare, Slenderness ratio () < 12 Whole section is under compression. Strain limited to c3 =0.0175 (See table 3.1 of EC2) Failure by concrete crushing

Short columns

0.0035 0.00175

Non slender columns

Columns subject to axial load and bending moments

Not a short column Non-slender in dimension (If lim)

In this course All columns are nonslender or short Most common forms of column.

Slender columns
N

Consider column - thin in one direction and subject to increasing axial load. At a critical load column begins to bend sideways about the weaker axis. Column is said to have buckled. Increasing the load increases deflection until bending failure occurs. Sideways deflection increases the moment at any section by : axial load x lateral deflection Madditional = Na Usually effect of deflections are small so ignored. Where it is significant, the element is described as being slender.

Determining the steel required in a column.

Graphical solution of symmetrical columns. Simplest method of determining area of reinforcement needed in symmetrically reinforced columns is to produce what are termed M N curves or relationships. M N relationships are based on the following variables : N, M, fck, b, h and d2. If correct partial factors c and s are used for steel and concrete, and provided correct design axial load and bending moment are known charts will give reasonable values. EC2 cylinder strengths are used. BS8110 used cube strength.

Typical M N relationship.
(Single branch of M N relationship shown)
As M increases so No moment - section is comp. strain in pure compression. increases on most Comp. strain in concrete compressed face limited to c3 (see Table 3.1 EC2). = 0.00175
c3

M increased more comp. conc. strain reaches limiting value 0.0035. Steel strain on the other face becomes tensile.

Further increase M. Tensile strain in steel Function reaches 0.002175 of Axial (yield). Section is load N Relationship cu3 = 0.0035 balanced. Moment enables us to find As reaches its max. Nbal value Mbal at an axial load of Nbal 0.002175 Function of For axial loads < Nbal the moment capacity Moment M increases then steadily reduces as N exceeds Nbal cu3 = 0.0035

0.0027

Observations from the graph.

When N > Nbal the element will fail by compression. Hence limits are placed on how high the strain is allowed when axial loads exceeded Nbal. In this branch of the curve the permissible strain in the concrete varies from cu3 (0.0035) to c3 (0.00175). When N < Nbal there will be an initial tensile failure with yielding of the steel on the tension face.
Axial load N
Beam / Column relationship

COLUMNS

BEAMS

Moment

Design Charts Symmetric RC elements.

N 1 Vertical Axis bh f ck (3)

h
( 4)

As

d2 d

M 1 Horizontal axis 2 bh f ck

Equations (3) and (4) enable useful design charts for concrete of characteristic strengths of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 ,45 and 50MPa to be produced. Steel stresses are expressed as a factor of fyk. Factors range from 0 -1.

Area of reinforcem ent

As f yk bhfck

Chart of N/(bhfck) vs M/(bh2fck) is produced with each line of the curve representing a proportion of Asfyk/(bhfck).

Design Chart fck < 50MPa, d2/h = 0.1

Indicative Not for design
1.4 1.3 1.2 ck 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1

As f yk bhf ck
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

As

d2

b
0.6 0.7

N/(bhf )

0.8
0.9 1.0
0.0 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5

As f yk bhf ck

M/(bh2fck)

Using design charts.

Calculate the value of N/bhfck and M/bh2fck. Say 0.6 and 0.2. Find their intersection point and interpolate between the lines. In this instance 0.5 and 0.6 so Asfyk/(bhfck) = 0.52. Unknown is As. Shaded region - no steel is required according to theory but in practice the code specifies a minimum quantity.

Maximum and minimum limits for reinforcement - Columns

Provided larger column dimension not greater than 4 times the smaller : Longitudinal reinforcement Minimum bar diameter 12mm according to UK National Annex. Minimum area of longitudinal reinforcement As,min.

As ,min

0,10N E d f yd

or 0,002 Ac whichever is the greater

Where :fyd is the design yield strength of the reinforcement NEd is the design axial compression force

Maximum and minimum limits for reinforcement - Columns

Maximum longitudinal reinf. As,max. As,max should be : 0,04 Ac outside lap locations unless it can be shown that the integrity of concrete is not affected, and that the full strength is achieved at ULS. 0,08 Ac at laps. Ensure also concrete can be easily placed

Maximum and minimum limits for reinforcement - Columns

Transverse reinforcement Diameter of the transverse reinforcement (links, loops or helical spiral reinforcement) should exceed 6 mm or one quarter of the maximum diameter of the longitudinal bars, whichever is the greater. Spacing of the transverse reinforcement along the column should not exceed : - 20 times the minimum diameter of the longitudinal bars - the lesser dimension of the column - 400 mm

Example
Rectangular column has b = 300mm, h = 500mm, Cover = 40mm, 20mm bars, fck = 35MPa. Axial load is 3240kN and BM about h is 200kNm. What area of steel is required in mm2.

Solution
1. Select appropriate design chart. 2. d2 = 40 + 20/2 = 50mm. Therefore d2/h = 50/500 = 0.1 3. fck < 50MPA. Design Chart follows 4. N/bhfck = 3240 000/(300 x 500 x 35) = 0.617 1. M/(bh2fck) = 200 x 106/(300 x 5002 x 35 = 0.0762

Solution
Using design chart, Asfyk/(bhfck) = 0.30. Therefore, As = (0.3 x 300 x 500 x 35)/500 = 3150mm2

Design Chart for Example