Dr. Kazi M.A.

Sohel

Compression Members

Introduction
Resistance of Cross‐Sections
Sections not prone to local buckling
Sections prone to local buckling
Buckling Resistance of Members
Sections not prone to local buckling
Sections prone to local buckling
Reduction Factor for Buckling Resistance
Elastic Critical Force & Buckling Length
Non‐Dimensional Slenderness for Flexural Buckling
Buckling Curve of Perfect Column
Buckling Curves of Imperfect Columns
Selection of Buckling Curve and Imperfection Factor
Design Procedure
Examples

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel

Bending + shear

Compression + Bending + shear

Tension/Compression

Torsion – less common

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel

Introduction
 Compression members are structural components that are subject to axial compression loads only.
 These generally refer to compressed pin-ended struts found in trusses, lattice girders or bracing
members.
 Most of the real columns are subjected to significant bending moments in addition to the axial loads,
due to the eccentricities of axial load and the presence of transverse forces. They are referred to as
beam-columns and are covered in a separate sub-chapter.
 Compression members must be checked for
→ resistance of cross-sections
→ buckling resistance of members

Column

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Resistance of Cross-Sections
EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.2.4 (1)
The design value of the compression force NEd at each cross-section shall satisfy:

N Ed  N c , Rd NEd = Design axial force

Nc,Rd = Design resistance of x-section

EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.2.4 (2)

Sections NOT PRONE to local buckling Sections PRONE to local buckling
Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections are Class 4 sections suffers from local buckling which
unaffected by local buckling. Design prevents the attainment of squash load.
resistance of cross-section Nc,Rd equals the Design resistance of cross-section Nc,Rd limited to
plastic resistance Npl,Rd. local buckling resistance.
A fy Aeff f y
N c , Rd  N c , Rd 
 M0  M0

If Class 4 section is unsymmetrical, it has to be

designed as beam‐column due to the additional
 M 0  1.00 moment arising from eccentricity of the
centroidal axis.
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel

Buckling Resistance of Member

Buckling Curve of Perfect Column Failure by elastic buckling

 2 EAi 2 Af y L fy
N cr  ;   cr
Nb,Rd /(fyA) L 2
cr
N cr i E

I
i is the radius of gyration.
A

1.0

Failure by
Cross section yielding Euler elastic buckling

 2 EAi 2
N cr 
L2cr

 = non-dimensional slenderness
Lcr = buckling length in the buckling plane considered Failure by elastic buckling
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Factors Influence the Buckling of Columns

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Factors that affect overall buckling of columns
T -125 N/mm2
C C +55 N/mm 2

 =L / 1000 +260 N/mm 2 C

C C

T
Rolled Section
Out of straightness
T
T
Typical residual stress profile in a hot-rolled I-section C C

C C
T
T Web Distribution

Welded section

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel

Buckling Resistance of Members

EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.3.1.1 (1)
The design value of the compression force NEd shall be checked against the design buckling resistance:

N Ed  N b, Rd
EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.3.1.1 (2)

Sections NOT PRONE to local buckling Sections PRONE to local buckling

Design buckling resistance Nb,Rd should be Design buckling resistance Nb,Rd should be taken
taken as: as:
 A fy  Aeff f y
N b, Rd  N b, Rd 
 M1  M1
 M 1  1.00 If Class 4 section is unsymmetrical, it has to be
designed as beam‐column.

Holes for fasteners at the column ends need NOT

to be taken into account in determining A and Aeff.
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Reduction Factor χ for Buckling Resistance
EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.3.1.2

1
 but   1.0
   2 2

where   0.5 1      0.2    2 

  imperfection factor (refer to Table 6.1 & 6.2)
Af y
  non-dimensional slenderness   for class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections
N cr

 2 EI Aeff f y
N cr   for class 4 cross-section
L2cr N cr

For   0.2, or for N Ed  0.04, the buckling resistance check can be ignored
N cr
and only cross sectional checks apply.

Lcr is the buckling length of the compression member in the plane under consideration, and is equivalent
to the effective length LE in BS 5950 (buckling lengths are given in the next sides)
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Elastic Critical Load & Buckling Length
 2 EI where I –Second moment of area which is determined based on the gross
N cr 
L2cr cross sectional properties for all classes of cross-sections.
Lcr – Buckling length in the buckling plane considered.

Nominal buckling lengths Lcrfor compression members

Non‐sway mode Sway mode

Direction refer to rotation 10

 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel

Non‐Dimensional Slenderness for Flexural Buckling (Cl. 6.3.1.3)

For Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections,

Af y Af y
 
N cr  2
EI L2cr 
Lcr fy Lcr 1 Radius of gyration, i  I A
  
i E i 1
where, 1   E f y  93.3   235 f y

For Class 4 cross-sections,

Aeff f y Aeff f y
 
N cr  2
EI L2cr 
A eff
Lcr A eff fy Lcr A
  
i A E i 1

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Buckling Curves of Imperfect Columns

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Selection of Buckling Curve and Imperfection Factor
Table 6.2: Selection of buckling curve for a cross-section
Table 6.1: Imperfection factors for buckling curves

Buckling curve a0 a b c d
Imperfection factor  0.13 0.21 0.34 0.49 0.76

Imperfections can be attributed to the following:

〄 initial out-of-straightness
〄 eccentricity of applied loads
〄 material variations
〄 residual stresses

Figure 6.4: Buckling curves 13

 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel

Design Procedure
 Determine design axial force NEd.
 Select a trial section such that NEd /A < fy for non class 4 cross-sections Ned /Aeff < fy for Class 4
cross-sections.
 Perform section classification.

 For each axis of buckling, determine

 buckling length Lcr 1   E f y
 Limiting slenderness λ1
Lcr 1
 non-dimensional slendernessλ 
i 1
 appropriate strut curve (a0, a, b, c or d) from Table 6.2
 imperfection factor  from Table 6.1 1
 buckling reduction factor  (chi)  but   1.0
   2 2

  0.5 1      0.2    2 

 Use the smaller value of  to determine buckling resistance Nb,Rd. N b,Rd   A f y

 Check if Nb,Rd > NEd. Else, repeat steps –.

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Example CM-1: Universal column with intermediate restraint under compression
Determine the maximum compression load that can be taken by a 5m column using 203x203x60 UC in
S275 steel. Both ends of the column are pin supported about both y-y and z-z axes. A lateral restraint,
that is aligned to the y-y axis, is provided at mid-height.

Section A–A

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Yield Strength
tw = 9.4 mm, tf = 14.2 mm. Resistance of Cross–Section
Maximum thickness = 14.2 mm < 16mm (EN 10025-2) A fy
For S275 steel, fy = 275N/mm2 N c , Rd  N pl , Rd 
M0
Section Classification
 = (235/fy)0.5 = 0.92 
 76.4 10  275 10 
2 3

 2100 kN
1.0
Classification of flange
cf / tf = 6.20 ≤ 9 = 9*0.92 = 8.32 Flexural Buckling about y-y axis
 Flange is Class 1 (plastic). Lcr,y = 5m = 500 cm
Classification of web
1   E f y   210000 275  86.8
cw / tw = 17.1 ≤ 33 = 33*0.92 = 30.4
 Web is Class 1 (plastic). Lcr , y 1  500  1 
y      0.643
Section is Class 1 (PLASTIC). i y 1  8.96  86.8 
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
b 209.6
  1.02  1.2 & t f  14.2 mm < 100 mm
h 205.8

Use buckling curve b ⇒ = 0.34 (Table 6.1)

 y  0.5 1     y  0.2    y2   0.782
1
y  =0.815 <1.0
y     2
y y
2

N b,y, Rd   y
A fy
 0.815 
 76.4 10  275 10   1712 kN
2 3

 M1 1.0

Flexural Buckling about z-z axis

Lcr,z = 2.5m =250 cm

1   E f y   210000 275  86.8

Lcr ,z 1  250  1 
z      0.554 1
iz 1  5.20  86.8  z  =0.812 <1.0
z     2
z z
2

b 209.6
  1.02  1.2 & t f  14.2 mm < 100 mm N b,z, Rd   z
A fy
 0.812 
 76.4 10  275 10   1707 kN
2 3

h 205.8  M1 1.0
Use buckling curve c ⇒ = 0.49 (Table 6.1)
Buckling Resistance of Member
 z  0.5 1    z  0.2   z2   0.740
Nb,Rd = min (Nb,y,Rd, Nb,z,Rd) =1707 kN
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Using capacity table
Page C-13
in S275 steel
203x203x60 UC

Buckling length
about z-axis
Lcr,z = 2.5 m
Nb,z,Rd = 1710 kN

Buckling length
about y-axis
Lcr,y = 5 m
Nb,y,Rd = 1710 kN

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Example 2: Circular hollow section under compression
A circular hollow section (CHS) member is to be used in a 4m long column which is pinned at both ends.
The design axial compression, NEd, is 2400 kN. Assess the suitability of a hot-rolled 244.510 CHS in
grade 355 steel for this application.

Yield Strength (table 3.1 in EC3)

t= 10.0mm < 16mm (EN 10025-2) Section Classification (table 5.2 in EC3)
For S355 steel, fy= 355 N/mm2 ε= (235/fy)0.5= 0.814
d /t= 244.5/10.0 = 24.5 ≤ 50ε2= 33.1
Section is Class 1.
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Resistance of Cross–Section
A fy  73.7 10  355 10   2616 kN > 2400 kN
2 3

N c , Rd  
M0 1.0

Buckling Resistance of Member

Lcr = 400 cm
1   E f y   210000 355  76.4

Lcr 1  400  1 
     0.631
i 1  8.30  76.4 

Use buckling curve a ⇒ = 0.21

 z  0.5 1      0.2    2   0.744

1
 =0.854 < 1.0
   2 2

 A f y 0.854  73.7 10  355 10   2230 kN < 2400 kN

2 3

N b, Rd  
 M1 1.0

The chosen cross-section, 244.510 CHS, in grade S355 steel is not acceptable.
Try 244.5x12.5 CHS, in grade S355
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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel

NEd, is 2400kN

Page D-15
hot-hrolled 244.5x10
CHS in grade 355 Le =4m

Nbz,Rd = 2300kN < 2400kN

Not adequate

Select hot-rolled 244.512.5

CHS in grade 355
Nbz,Rd = 2830kN >2400kN
adequate

Note: There are no resistance tables given for hot-finished hollow sections in S275,
because hot finished hollow sections are normally available in S355 only.
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Typical effective length

factor for use in column
design =KL

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Effective length factor for continuous columns based on stability analysis

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Members with intermediate lateral restraints

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Collapse of Hartford Civil Centre Stadium
Connecticut, USA (1978)

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 Dr. Kazi M.A. Sohel
Top chord buckling length was assumed to be 4.57m

4.57 m

9.14 m

Collapse under heavy snow load

The top chord was free to deflect

in the out of plane horizontally

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Adequate Bracing during Construction

Sequence of erection

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Failure in compression (buckling)

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