Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
0 Column Design
The columns in a structure carry the loads from the beams & slabs down to the
foundations. They are primarily compression members although they may also have
to resist bending forces.
Direct solution of the equations which determine the areas of reinforcement of column
can be very difficult and impractical. Therefore, design chart are often used to
facilitate the routine design of column sections.
Design of columns is governed by the ultimate limit state. Correct detailing of the
reinforcement and adequate cover are important.
Longitudinal steel
- A minimum of 4 bars is required in a rectangular column and 6 bars in a circular
column.
100 As
- 0.4 (min . steel )
Acol
100 As
- 6.0 (in vertical cast column )
Acol
Or
100 As
8.0 (in a horizontal cast column )
Acol
But at lap
100 As
10( for both type of column )
Acol
Where As = total area of longitudinal steel
Acol = cross – sectional area of the Column
Links
- Minimum size = ¼ x size of the largest compression bar but not less than 6mm
- Max. link spacing = 12 x size of the smallest compression bar.
- The links should be arranged so that every corner bar and alternate bar in an outer
layer of longitudinal steel is supported by a link passing around the bar and
having an included angle < 1350.
- All other bars or groups not restrained by a link should be within 150mm of a
restrained bar.
- In circular columns a circular link passing around a circular arrangement of
longitudinal bars is adequate.
Figure 9.3 shows possible arrangements of reinforcing bars of two columns and a
floor. In fig. 9.3 (a) the reinforcement in the lower column is cranked so that it will fit
within the smaller column above. The crank in the reinforcement should commence
above the soffit of the beam so the moment of resistance of the column is not reduced.
When both columns are of the same size (fig. 9.3 (b)), the bars in the upper column
should be cranked so that the moment of resistance of the column is not reduced.
Separate dowel bars as in fig. 9.3 (c) may also be used to provide continuity between
2 lengths of column.
Where axial load dominates, 2 approximate design formulae are recommended for
short columns.
In the method of construction prevents the column form being subjected to applied
moment, the ultimate axial load should not exceed
N = 0.4fcuAc + 0.8Ascfy
Where Ac = net cross section area of concrete
Asc = total area of vertical reinforcement
fcu = characteristic strength of concrete
fy = characteristic strength of steel
N = axial loading that can be resist by column
When a short column supporting an approximately symmetrical arrangement of beam,
the ultimate axial load should not exceed
N = 0.35fcuAc + 0.70Ascfy
Where
- The beams are designed for uniformly distributed imposed loads.
- The beam spans do not differ by more than 15% of the longer.
** This type of column can occur in precast concrete construction when there is
no continuity between the members. Also it can be considered to occur when
the column support a symmetrical & very rigid structure.
Example 9.1
A beam and column system in a 3 storey building forms a 6m grid in plan. The design
ultimate dead load, Gk and live load, Qk are 4.0, 6.6 and 7.0kN/m2 from the top to down.
Given, fcu = 25N/mm2, fy = 460N/mm2. Assuming the minimum column width is 250mm,
design a suitable section for one of the middle columns in the bottom storey.
[Assume that the building is braced in both directions and the beams have been designed to
be 350mm deep, monolithically connected to the columns]
4kN/m2
6.6kN/m2 3m
3m
7kN/m2
3m
6m 6m 6m 6m
End condition 1 applied at both top and bottom of the column. Assume b = h = 250mm
β = 0.75
F = 6 x 6 (4 + 6.6 + 7)
= 633.6kN
Characteristic self weight = 9 x 0.252 x 24 = 13.5kN
N = 0.35fcuAc + 0.7fyAsc
Asc = 330mm2
The applied axial forces may be tensile or compression. In the analysis that follows, a
compressive force is considered.
Figure 9.5 represents the cross – section of a member with typical strain and stress
distributions for varying position of the neutral axis. The cross –section is subject to a
moment M and an axial compressive force N in the figure, the direction of the
moment is such as to cause compression on the upper part of the section and tension
on the lower part.
Let
Fcc = compressive force developed in the concrete and acting through the centroid of
the stress block.
Fsc = compressive force in the reinforcement area As’ and acting through its centroid.
Fs = the tensile or compressive force in the reinforcement area As and acting through
its centroid.
The applied force, N must be balanced by the forces develop within the cross –
section
N = Fcc + Fsc + Fs
In this equation, Fs will be negative whenever the position of the neutral axis is much
that the reinforcement As is in tension, as in figure 9.6.
Substituting into this equation the terms for the stresses and areas
N = 0.45fcubs + fscAs’ + fsAs
Where
fsc = compressive stress in As’
fs = tensile stress in As
The design moment M must be balanced by the moment of resistance of the forces
developed within the cross – section. Hence, taking moments about the mid – depth
of the section.
M = Fcc(h/2 – s/2) + Fsc(h/2 – d’) – Fs(d – h/2)
Or
M = 0.45fcubs (h/2 – s/2) + fscAs’(h/2 – d’) – fsAs(d – h/2)
For a symmetrical arrangement of reinforcement (As’ = As = Asc/2) and d’ = h – d,
equations W & X can be rewritten in the following form
N 0.45 f cu s A A
f sc s f s s
bh h bh bh
M 0.45 f cu s s A d A d
(0.5 ) f sc s ( 0.5) f s s ( 0.5)
bh h 2h bh h bh h
In this equations the steel strains and stresses vary with the depth of the neutral axis
(x), thus N/bh and M/bh2 can be calculated for specified ratios of As/bh and x/h so
that column design charts for a symmetrical arrangement of reinforcement can be
plotted (fig. 9.7).
The direct solution of equation Y & Z for the design of column reinforcement would
be very tedious, and therefore, a set of design charts for the usual case of symmetrical
sections have been prepared by British Standards Institution.
Example 9.2 Column design using design charts
Fig. 9.8 shows a frame of a frame of a heaving loaded industrial structure for which the
centre columns along line PQ are to be designed in this example. The frames at 4m centers
are braced against lateral forces, and support the following floor loads:
Consider 1st the design of the center column at the underside (u.s.) of 1st floor. The critical
arrangement of load which will cause the maximum moment in the column is shown in fig.
9.9a.
i. column load
Similar arrangement of load will give the axial load in the column at the underside
(u.s.) and top side (t.s.) of each floor level and these values of N are shown in Table
9.3
The moment on the column are not large and therefore the equation (N = 0.35fcuAc +
0.70Ascfy) may be used for preliminary sizing. Try a 300 x 400 column
N = 0.35fcuAc + 0.70Ascfy
2084 x 103 = 0.35 x 30 x 300 x 400 + 0.7 x 460Asc
Asc = 2559mm2
100Asc/bh = 2.13 OK
The 300 x 400 cross section is adequate.
ii. column moment
The loading arrangement and the substitute frame for determining the column
moments at the 1st and 2nd floors are shown in fig. 9.9b. Member stiffnesses are:
= 0.53/2.84 = 0.19
At 3rd floor,
And
The area of reinforcement in table 9.3 is determined by using the design chart of figure 9.7.
Section through the column are shown in fig. 9.10
Cover for the reinforcement is taken as 50mm & d/h = 320/400 = 0.8
For most columns, biaxial bending will not govern the design. The loading pattern
necessary to cause biaxial bending in a building’s internal and edge columns will not
usually cause large moments in both directions.
Corner columns may have to resist significant bending about both axes, but the axial
loads are usually small and a design similar to the adjacent edge columns is generally
adequate.
A design for biaxial bending based on a exact analysis of the cross – section. This
method specifies that a column subjected to an axial load N and moment Mx and My
about the x –x and y – y axes respectively may be designed for single axis bending.
However, this single axis bending moment is increased and is subject to the following
conditions:
- If Mx/h ≥ My/b’, then increased single axis design moment is :
M’x = Mx + β(h’/b’) x My
- If Mx/h’ < My/b’, then increased single axis design moment is:
M’y = My + β(b’/h’) x Mx
The dimensions h’ and b’ are defined in fig. 9.17 and the coefficient β is specified in
table 9.4.
Example 9.3 Design of a column for biaxial bending.
The column section shown in fig. 9.18 is to be designed to resist an ultimate axial load of
1200kN plus moments of Mxx = 75kNm and Myy = 80kNm, fcu = 30N/mm2 & fy = 460N/mm2.
Mx/h’ < My / b’
100Asc / bh ≈ 2.66
Typical bending moment diagrams for a braced column are shown in fig. 9.19. The
max. add. moment Madd occurs near the mid – height of the column and at this
location the initial moment is taken as
Mi = 0.4M1 + 0.6M2 ≥ 0.4M2
Where M1 = smaller initial end moment due to design ult. loads.
M2 = the corresponding larger initial end moment
The final design moment should never be taken as less than any the following:
- M2
- Mi +Madd
- M1 + Madd / 2
- N x emin with emin < h/20 or 20mm
The equ. in section 9.5 can be used to calculate the additional moment, Madd and
combined with the appropriate initial moment to design a slender column with single
axis bending about either axis, provided,
-
h/b<3
b
A braced column of 300 x 450 cross – section resists at the ult. limit state an axial load of
1700kN and the end moments of 70kNm and 10kNm causing double curvature about X – X
as shown in fig. 9.20. lex = 6.75m and ley = 8.0m, fcu = 30N/mm2, fy = 460N/mm2
M1 = -10kNm, & Mi = 0.4M1 + 0.6M2 = (0.4 x -10) + (0.6 x 70) = 38kNm > 0.4M2
Nh le 2
M add ( ) K
2000 b'
1700 x10 3 x300 6750 2
( ) x1.0
2000 300
129kNm K 1.0 for initial value
Mt = Mi + Madd
= 38 + 129 = 167kNm
N 1700 x10 3
12.6
bh 450 x300
M 167 x10 3
4.12
bh 2 450 x300 2
This new value for K is used to recalculate Madd and hence Mt for the second iteration. The
design chart is again used to determine 100Asc/bh and a new K in shown in table 9.5. The
iterations are continued until the value K in column (1) and (5) are in reasonable agreement.
N bal 0.25 f cu bd
0.25 x30 x 450 x 240 x10 3
810kN
N uz 0.45 f cu bh 0.95 f y Asc
(0.45 x30 x 450 x300 0.95 x 460 x 2835)10 3
3061kN
N uz N
K
N uz N bal
3061 1700
3061 810
0 .6
Which agrees with the final value in column 5 of the table 9.5