3.

COMPRESSION MEMBERS
A structural member is considered a compression member if designed
primarily to resist axial compression.
Examples of compression members:
 column
 top chords of trusses
 Struts

The resistance of a compression member decreases as its length increases.

The axially loaded tension member resistance is not dependent on its
length. If the bending action is significant, the member is termed a beam
column and designed differently
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 Classification of cross-section
 ES EN1993: 2015 classifies sections
into four categories.
 The role of cross-section classification
is to identify the extent to which
their local buckling resistance limits
the resistance and rotation capacity.

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 .

 Class 1 /plastic section/:- can form a plastic hinge with the rotation
capacity required from the plastic analysis without reducing the resistance.
 Class 2 /compact sections/:- can develop plastic moment resistance but
have limited rotation capacity because of local buckling.
 Class 3 /semi-compact section/:- the stress in the extreme compression
fibre of the steel member can reach the yield strength. Still, local buckling
is liable to prevent the development of plastic moment resistance.
 Class 4 /thin-walled section/:- local buckling will occur before attaining
yield stress in one or more parts of the cross-section. Effective widths may
be used to make the necessary allowances for reductions in resistance due
to the effects of local buckling.
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 .

 The classification of sections depends on:

 the category of flange and web elements
whether it is pure compression, pure bending
or combined compression and bending.
 the width to thickness ratio of the parts
subject to compression
 most of compression elements, can be separated
into two categories:
 Internal elements: supported along two edges
parallel to the compressive stress direction.
 Outstand elements: attached along one edge and
free on the other edge parallel to the direction of
compressive stress.
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 Design Compression Members
Columns, based on slenderness ratio are distinguished as:
Stocky Columns:- Very low slenderness, unaffected by overall buckling
and failure results from rupture of cross-section.
Slender Columns
 Medium slenderness:- unaffected by imperfection, ultimate failure load
≈ Euler Load and independent of yield stress.
 Large slenderness:- affected by imperfection and failure load is less
than Euler Load
Euler Load /elastic critical load/ is the maximum load supported by the
column free from any type of imperfection.
Effective length (Le) of a column is defined as length between the points of
contraflexure of BMD of the buckled column.
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 Compression Resistance of Cross section

 For members in axial compression, the design value of the compressive
force Nc, Sd at each cross-section shall satisfy:
 Compressive resistance Nc, Rd equals
For Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections
 For Class 4 cross-sections, compressive resistance is limited to local
buckling resistance of the cross-section:
 Flexural Buckling Resistance
• A compression member should be verified against buckling as:
• The design buckling resistance
for Class 1,2 and 3 cross-sections:
for class 4 cross-sections: 9
 .

 Buckling curves
The value of χ, reduction factor for the relevant buckling mode, for the
appropriate non-dimensional slenderness 𝜆̅ should be determined as:

α is an imperfection factor
𝑁𝑐𝑟 is the elastic critical force
for the relevant buckling mode
based on the gross cross-section

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Values of χ for appropriate 𝜆̅ may be obtained from fig. 6.4:

For slenderness 𝜆̅ ≤ 0.2 or for 𝑁𝐸𝑑/𝑁𝑐𝑟 ≤ 0.04 the buckling effects may be
ignored and only cross sectional checks apply. 12
 Examples on Compression Members
1. Check a column subjected to an axial compression force 6000 kN, using a
UC 254 ×254×167 (universal column) cross section in S 355 steel, according to
ES EN 3. The column is supported as shown in the figure. With length of 5 m.

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.
•

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Solution:
• Given:- 𝑁𝑐,𝑆𝑑 = 6000𝑘𝑁 L = 5𝑚
S − 355 UC − 254 ∗ 254 ∗ 167
• Required:- Check the capacity
• Solution:-
 Geometrical properties [ Tables\Universal columns.pdf ]:-
ℎ = 289.1 𝑚𝑚; 𝑏𝑓 = 265.2 𝑚𝑚; 𝑡𝑓 = 31.7 𝑚𝑚; 𝑡𝑤 = 19.2 𝑚𝑚; 𝐴 = 213 𝑐𝑚2 ;
𝑟 = 12.7 𝑚𝑚; 𝐼𝑦 = 30000 𝑐𝑚4 ; 𝐼𝑧 = 9870 𝑐𝑚4 ; 𝑖𝑦 = 11.9 𝑐𝑚; 𝑖𝑧 = 6.81 𝑐𝑚;

 Cross-Section Classification:

𝜀= 235 235
𝑓𝑦 = 355 = 0.81
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 .
 For the flange:
b−𝑡𝑤 −2𝑟 265.2−19.2−2∗12.7
c 2 2
= = = 3.48
tf 𝑡𝑓 31.7
9𝜀 = 9 ∗ 0.81 = 7.29
→→→ 3.48 < 7.29 →→→→→→ Class 1
 For the web:
d ℎ;2(𝑡𝑓 :𝑟) 289.1;2∗(31.7:12.7)
= = = 10.43
tw 𝑡𝑤 19.2
33𝜀 = 33 ∗ 0.81 = 26.73
→→→ 10.43 < 26.73 →→→→→→ Class 1
Therefore, the whole section is class 1 (plastic).

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 .
 Compression resistance of the cross section
𝐴 ∗ 𝑓𝑦 21300 ∗ 355
𝑁𝑐,𝑅𝑑 = = ∗ 10;3 = 7561.5𝑘𝑁
𝛾𝑚0 1.00
𝑁𝑐,𝑅𝑑 (7561.5𝑘𝑁) > 𝑁𝑐,𝑆𝑑 (6000𝑘𝑁) Safe !!!
 Flexural buckling resistance of a member
• buckling length: 𝐿𝐸 𝑦 = 5𝑚 (𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑)
𝐿𝐸 𝑧 = 3𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 2𝑚 (𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑)
• slenderness coefficients: [take E = 210 GPa]
Ε 210∗103
𝜆1 = 𝜋 =𝜋 = 76.4 ; [slenderness at stress level of 𝑓𝑦 ]
𝑓𝑦 355

OR, 𝜆1 = 93.9𝜀 = 93.9 ∗ 0.81 = 76.1

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 .
•

[𝜆 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜]
• Calculation of the reduction factor, 𝜒
ℎ 289.1
= = 1.09 < 1.2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑓 = 31.7𝑚𝑚 < 100𝑚𝑚
𝑏 265.2
Bending around z  curve c 𝛼 = 0.49

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 .
 Safety verification
𝜒𝐴𝑓𝑦 0.808∗21300∗355
𝑁𝑏,𝑅𝑑 = = = 6110𝑘𝑁
𝛾𝑚1 1.0

As 𝑁𝑐,𝑆𝑑 = 6000𝑘𝑁 < 𝑁𝑏,𝑅𝑑 = 6110𝑘𝑁

 Safety is verified !!!

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 .

2. Design a suitable UC of S 355 steel to resist a factored axial compression

load corresponding to a permanent load of 160 kN and a variable load of
230KN. Let Lcr,y=12m and Lcr,z = 6m.

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Solution:
 𝑁𝐸𝑑 = 1.35𝐺𝑘 + 1.5𝑄𝑘 = 1.35 ∗ 160 + 1.5 ∗ 230 = 561 𝑘𝑁
 First trial section: [use 𝑓𝑦 = 355𝑀𝑃𝑎 , 𝜒 = 0.5 & 𝑁𝑏,𝑅𝑑 ≥ 𝑁𝐸𝑑 ]
𝜒𝐴𝑓𝑦 𝑁𝑏,𝑅𝑑 ∗𝛾𝑚1 561000∗1.0
𝑁𝑏,𝑅𝑑 = 𝐴≥ = = 31.6𝑐𝑚2
𝛾𝑚1 𝜒∗𝑓𝑦 0.5∗355

• Take 152*152*30-UC with 𝐴 = 38.3 𝑐𝑚2 ; 𝑡𝑓 = 9.4 𝑚𝑚;

𝑖𝑦 = 6.76 𝑐𝑚; 𝑖𝑧 = 3.83 𝑐𝑚

𝜀= 235 = 235 = 0.81 and take the longer side (major axis)
𝑓𝑦 355

12000 1
= ∗ = 2.33
67.6 93.9∗0.81
Buckling will occur about the major (y) axis.

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 .
• For a rolled UC section:
ℎ 157.6
= = 1.03 < 1.2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑓 = 9.4 𝑚𝑚 < 100 𝑚𝑚
𝑏 152.9
Bending about y axis  curve b  𝛼 = 0.34
= 0.5 1 + 0.34 2.33 − 0.2 + 2.332 = 3.57
1
= = 0.16 < 0.5
3.57: 3.572 ;2.332
0.5:0.16
• Second trial section: [𝜒 = = 0.33]
2
561000∗1.0
𝐴≥ = 47.89 𝑐𝑚2  take 203*203*46-UC with 𝐴 =
0.33∗355
58.7 𝑐𝑚2 ; 𝑡𝑓 = 11 𝑚𝑚; 𝑡𝑤 = 7.2 𝑚𝑚; 𝑖𝑦 = 8.82 𝑐𝑚; 𝑖𝑧 = 5.13 𝑐𝑚
12000 1
= ∗ = 1.79
88.2 93.9∗0.81
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 .
ϕ = 0.5 1 + 0.34 1.79 − 0.2 + 1.792 = 2.37
1
χ= = 0.25 < 0.5
2.37 + 2.372 − 1.792
• Take the next largest area section: 203*203*52-UC with
𝐴 = 66.3 𝑐𝑚2 ; b = 204.3 𝑚𝑚; ℎ = 206.2 𝑚𝑚; 𝑡𝑓 = 12.5 𝑚𝑚;
𝑡𝑤 = 7.9 𝑚𝑚; r = 10.2 mm; 𝑖𝑦 = 8.91 𝑐𝑚; 𝑖𝑧 = 5.18 𝑐𝑚
 Section classification:
b−𝑡𝑤 −2𝑟 204.3−7.9−2∗10.2
c 2 2
Flange: = = = 7.04 < 9𝜀 = 7.29 → Class 1
tf 𝑡𝑓 12.5

d ℎ;2(𝑡𝑓 :𝑟) 206.2;2∗(12.5:10.2)

Web: = = = 20.35 < 33𝜀Class 1
tw 𝑡𝑤 7.9
Therefore, the whole section is class 1
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 .
• Non dimensional slenderness:
12000 1
• = ∗ = 1.77
89.1 93.9∗0.81
ℎ 206.2
• Buckling curve and imperfection factor: = < 1.2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑓 <
[
𝑏 204.3
100 𝑚𝑚] implies buckling about y axis  curve b  𝛼 = 0.34
ϕ = 0.5 1 + 0.34 1.77 − 0.2 + 1.772 = 2.33
1
• Reduction factor: χ = = 0.26
2.33: 2.332 ;1.772
• Buckling resistance:
𝜒𝐴𝑓𝑦 0.26∗6630∗355
𝑁𝑏,𝑅𝑑 = = = 612𝑘𝑁 > 561𝑘𝑁 = 𝑁𝑐,𝐸𝑑
𝛾𝑚1 1.0

So, the 203 ∗ 203 ∗ 52 𝑈𝐶 is satisfactory.

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 Exercise 2
• Check a column subjected to an axial compression force 2500 kN, using a UB
528 ×209×82 cross section in S 275 steel, according to ES EN 3. The column
is supported as shown in the figure. With length of 6 m.

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 Assignment - 2
For the following truss, design the upper cord members (compressed
members) with L = 3.00 m. Consider the same type of cross section, that is
circular tube (CT), with welded connections between the members of the
structure.
Use S-355 steel

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