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School of Civil & Environmental Engineering

CIVE 3513 STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN

FALL 2022

CLASS 13: DESIGN OF COMPRESSION

MEMBERS – COLUMN BEHAVIOR

September 26, 2022

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Learning Objectives

q Identify the effective length based on column end

conditions

q Differentiate between strong and weak axis buckling

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Failure Modes of Compression Members
• Strength
• Yielding

• Instability
• Flexural buckling
• Entire member becomes unstable and bends

• Torsional or flexural torsional buckling

• Entire member twists or twists and bends

• Local buckling
• Small portion of member buckles

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Failure Modes of Compression Members
• Strength
• Yielding

• Instability
• Flexural buckling à Euler Buckling
• Entire member becomes unstable and bends
• Column is pin-ended.
• Column is initially perfectly straight.
• Load is perfectly applied to the centroidal axis.
• Material is linear, elastic; with no residual stresses. Material never
yields.

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Theoretical Column Strength Curve

• Plot Euler buckling formula as a

function of slenderness:

• As noted previously, for members

with low slenderness (L/r) ratios the
column will yield and will not buckle
Euler
• These are theoretical relationships elastic
buckling
(recall the assumptions): curve
• Column is pin-ended.
• Column is initially perfectly straight.
• Load is perfectly applied to the
centroidal axis.
• Material is linear, elastic; with no
residual stresses. Material never
yields.
• Buckled column bends about a
principal axis (no twisting).

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Failure Modes of Compression Members
• Strength
• Yielding

• Instability
• Flexural buckling à Euler Buckling
• Entire member becomes unstable and bends
• Column is pin-ended.
• Column is initially perfectly straight.
• Load is perfectly applied to the centroidal axis.
• Material is linear, elastic; with no residual stresses. Material never
yields.

• For conditions other than pin-pinà Effective Length = KL

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Columns with Different End Conditions
• For columns with different end conditions, define:

Effective length (Leff): length between inflection points

(locations of zero moment) on the deformed (buckled)
column

• To define Leff, use an effective length factor, K

Leff = effective length = KL
Where
K = effective length factor (depending on end conditions)
L = Length of column (distance between supports)

Columns with Different End Conditions 8

• Leff concept: consider a column with any end condition and replace
it with an “equivalent” pin-ended column.
• In the figures, PI = point of inflection on buckled column (location of
zero moment)

PI

PI PI

• More end restraint, shorter effective length, higher axial capacity

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Columns with Different End Conditions 9

• Leff concept: consider a column with any end condition and replace
it with an “equivalent” pin-ended column.
• In the figures, PI = point of inflection on buckled column (location of
zero moment)

• More end restraint, shorter effective length, higher axial capacity

Columns with Different End Conditions 10

Theoretical vs. Actual End Restraint

Condition
• For an actual structural compression member, we can
never achieve a perfect pin (Mends= 0 and K = 1) nor
perfect fixity (θends= 0 and K = 0.5)
• In reality, pins provide a little moment resistance and all
fixed connections rotate (slightly)

• Thus, Kactual ≠ Ktheoretical so we use design values

recommended by AISC rather than the theoretical
values

AISC 15th Ed. 16.1-570, Table C-A-7.1 à Commentary to Appendix 7

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Effective Length Factor – Design Values 11

AISC 15th Ed. 16.1-

570, Table C-A-7.1
à Commentary to
Appendix 7

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Effect of Bracing 12

Note: Sometimes a member may be braced for buckling about one axis but
not about the other.

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Effect of Bracing 13

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Effective Length – Euler Buckling 14

• Euler equation using effective length (KL)

• In design, the radius of gyration r has subscripts (x, y, or

z) and is linked to an axis of bending

• KL values may also differ for different buckling axes if

support conditions or bracing locations vary

• Thus, we must consider (KL/r)x (strong axis buckling) and

(KL/r)y (weak axis buckling) [or (KL/r)z for single angles]

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Strong and Weak Axis Buckling 15

KL = 0.5L

KL = 1.0L KL = 1.0L

x y y

y y
x x x x Both must be
x checked
Strong axis buckling
Around x-axis y y
Weak axis buckling Weak axis buckling
Around y-axis Around y-axis

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Strong and Weak Axis Buckling 16

• Compare the effective slenderness values (KL/r) for

different axes and use the governing one to calculate
the compression member capacity

• Because (KL/r) is in the denominator of the strength

equation, the capacity will be controlled by the
maximum slenderness ratio (KL/r)x or (KL/r)y [or (KL/r)z
for single angles] as this yields the minimum buckling
stress

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Example 17

• Determine the theoretical strength for a pin-ended

W10x33 column with a length of 20ft. The steel is ASTM
A992 (Fy = 50ksi).

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