Design of Concrete Structures

Columns

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Design of RC Columns

• Types of Columns
• Idealised Short Column (compression only)
• Importance of Lateral Reinforcement
• Columns Subjected to Bending and Compression
• Interaction Diagram
• Analysis of Column Section
• Column Capacity - Nub & Mub

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Column Failure

Column Failure

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 Types of Columns
• Rectangular Tied Columns

• Spiral Columns, Circular or Square

Types of Columns
• Composite Columns

Steel I section

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 Types of Columns
• For design purposes, columns are classified as either:

• Short (stocky)
Eccentricity
due to
• Slender deflection

Short Slender
If the load carrying capacity is significantly reduced by second
order moments caused by the column deflection, the column is
said to be slender, otherwise it is short.

Types of Columns

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 Types of Columns
According to Cl 10.3.1 a column shall be deemed to be short where:
(a) for a braced column
Le r  25; or
 
  c 38  f c' 15 1  M 1* M 2* 
whichever is the greater
where
 c  2.25  2.5 N * 0.6 N u0 for N * 0.6 N u0  0.15; or
 c  1 3.5 N * 0.6 N u0  for N * 0.6 N u0  0.15

Types of Columns
According to Cl 10.3.1 a column shall be deemed to be short where:
(b) for an unbraced column
Le/r  22
r = the radius of gyration of the cross-sections
M*1/M*2 = the ratio of the smaller to the larger of the design
bending moments at the ends of the column
Le = the effective length

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 Idealised short Column
• Assume a RC column under a PURE axial compression Cl 10.6.2.2
P N=P= cAc + s As
Ac = Area of concrete
As = Area of steel
c = Concrete stress
s = Steel stress
At ultimate condition
c = 1 f `c
c s = fsy
s s Hence:
N Nuo = 1f `c Ac + fsy As

1 = 1.0 – 0.003 f’c within the limits of 0.72 to 0.85

As
Nuo = ultimate strength in compression without bending

Idealised short Column

 Columns are rarely, if ever, are subjected to axial load without
bending. Clause 10.1.2 of AS3600 requires that a minimum
bending moment to be applied:
 The specified minimum bending moment is
0.05D N*
D = Overall column dimension in the direction of bending
N*= Applied Load N*
0.05D

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 Idealised short Column
 If the design axial load is small (less than 0.1f’cAg), the
section can be designed for bending only (Cl 10.3.2)

 If the bending moment is small, it may be ignored but the

column strength is reduced to:
0.75ϕNuo
Refer to Cl 10.3.3

Plastic Centroid
 Axial loading occurs when the compressive strains in the steel
and concrete are uniform throughout the section, i.e, when the
load Nuo is applied at the PLASTIC CENTROID.

Rectangular cross section Rectangular cross section

with equal amount of tensile without equal amount of
and compressive steel tensile and compressive steel

dq dq = ½D dq

Plastic
centroid

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 Plastic Centroid
 For non-regular sections, the location of the plastic centroid
can be found by equating the sum of the internal moments and
external moment taken about, say, the top fibres.

Example
60
Calculate Nuo and find the location of
the plastic centroid for this column
section: dq
540 600
Top steel: 2N16 Asc=400mm2
Bottom steel: 4N32 Ast=3200mm2
f’c = 25MPa
350

Plastic Centroid
Example – cont.

Nuo = 1f’c bD + Asc fsy + Ast fsy

= 0.85x25x350x600 + 400x500 + 3200x500 N
= 4462 + 200 + 1600 = 6262 kN
60

To find dq, take moments about the top

concrete fibres dq
Nuo dq = 4462 * (600/2) + 200 * 60 + 1600 * 540 540 600

dq = 353 mm

350

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 Importance of Lateral Reinforcement
Load

Nuo d

b c
a

a b c d
Strain
a: tied column with inadequate lateral steel and cover
b: column with adequate ties
c: column with spiral steel
d: column with closely spaced spiral steel

Importance of Lateral Reinforcement

Lateral steel:
- provide lateral support for main steel reinforcement preventing
them from buckling outwards
- provide confinement to the concrete, which increases both
strength and ductility
- should never be omitted

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Columns Subjected to Bending and
Compression

Nu Nu Mu=Nue
e

Interaction Diagram
N
D: Pure compression e=0
Straight line C: Decompression point
D B: Balanced failure e=eb
Nuo C A: Pure bending e=

B (Mub, Nub)

A
0
Muo M

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 Effect of Eccentricity (e)
D: Pure compression, M = 0 C: Ku = 1.0,
e=0  e=ec cu = 0.03
cu

=0

B: Balanced failure, st= sy A: Pure bending, Nu=0

e=eb e=infinity
cu

Same as a beam

sy

Interaction Diagram

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 Interaction Diagram
Load

Nuo
Unsafe
Nuo
Mub, (Mub, Nub)
Nub
Safe

0
Muo Muo Moment

Interaction Diagram
- Squash load (Nuo) Cl 10.6.2.2

- Decompression point Cl 10.6.2.3

Within compression failure mode, the Standard, for the first time, defines the
so-called ‘decompression’ point. The decompression point is calculated
taking the strain in the extreme compressive fibre equal to 0.003, the strain in
the extreme tensile fibre equal to zero and using the rectangular stress block
given in Cl 10.6.2.5
To simplify the computation, the point of zero strain will be taken at the
tensile steel, ie., Ku = 1.0.
- Balanced point
c = cu = 0.003
st = sy = 0.0025
 cu
K u  K ub   0.545
 cu   sy
- Pure bending point 24

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 Analysis of Column Section
2 f’c

Nu = Cc + Cs – T 2 and  are given by Cl 10.6.2.5

Cc = 2 f’c  ku d b 2 = 0.85 – 0.0015 f’c
Cs = sc Asc (within the limits of 2 ≥ 0.67)
T = st Ast  = 0.97 – 0.0025 f’c
(within the limits of 0.67    0.85)

Analysis of Column Section

For balanced failure:
• The tensile steel reaches its yield, hence
st = sy &
st = fsy
• The compressive steel will usually exceed yield, hence
sc = fsy Strains
• The neutral axis parameter becomes cu
Ku = kub (and from geometry) sc
kubd
cu d
Kub=
cu + sy
cu = 0.003 & sy = 0.0025 (Cl 10.6)
Kub = 0.545 sy

Note: sy = 0.0025 for Grade 500 steel, and 0.002 for the old Grade 400 steel

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 Column Capacity -  Nub
For equilibrium Nu = Cc + Cs -T

Cc = 2 fc kud b Cs = fsy Asc T = fsy Ast

For balanced failure:

Nub = Cc + Cs –T
Nub = 2fc kubd b + fsy Asc - fsy Ast

 = f'c Cl 8.1.2.2)

kub = 0.545
fsy = 500MPa (Current grade of steel, 500)

Capacity reduction factor for compression for balanced failure

 = 0.65 Table 2.2.2

Column Capacity -  Mub

For balanced failure:
For equilibrium, the external moment (Mu=Nue) must equal the
sum of internal moments. k d ub
dsc
Nu ½ kubd Cs
Cc
d e
q
d

h
Location of T
bottom reo

External Internal
force forces

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 Column Capacity -  Mub
For balanced failure: Nub
Take moments about level of tensile reo
d e
Nub h = Cs (d- dsc) + Cc (d- ½ kubd) q

e = h - (d- dq) h
level of
bottom reo
Mub = Nub e
kubd
dsc
Capacity reduction factor for bending
½ kubd Cs
 = 0.65 Table 2.2.2 Cc
d

Failure Types
Nu Nub Nu
e< eb e=eb e> eb

cu cu cu

s< sy s= sy s> sy

Primary Balanced Primary

compression failure tension
failure failure

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 Failure Types
N

Primary compression
D
Nuo C failure

Nub Primary tension

1/eb failure

A
0
Muo Mub M

Use of Design Charts

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