COMPRESSION MEMBERS

STRDES11-UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO
What are compression members?
Structural elements subjected to axial compressive forces.

Common examples:
columns, struts, and braces.

Purpose
Ensure stability and strength in structures like buildings, bridges, and towers.
BUCKLING
A sudden sideways deflection of a
compression member when a
critical force is reached. This
happens due to instability.
 The longer a column is, given the same
properties, the more prone it is to
bending or buckling, and the smaller the
load it can bear.
Three primary modes of
buckling failure
Flexural Buckling (Euler buckling)

Local Buckling

Flexural Torsional Buckling

 COMPARISON OF
BUCKLING FAILURES
 Torsional
Aspect Flexural Buckling Local Buckling
Buckling
Lateral bending or Buckling confined
Twisting of the
deflection of the entire to a specific part of
Definition member about its
member about its weaker the member, such
longitudinal axis.
axis. as a flange or web.
Thin-walled
Axial compressive force sections unable to Low torsional
Cause exceeding the critical load resist compressive stiffness under axial
for lateral deflection. forces in localized compression.
areas.

Wrinkling or buckling Torsional instability

Failure Lateral deflection and
of thin sections within and twisting of the
Mode instability of the member.
the member. member.
 Torsional
Aspect Flexural Buckling Local Buckling
Buckling
Entire member
Entire structural Local regions of the twists without
Affected
member bends cross-section (e.g., significant
Area
laterally. flanges or webs). lateral
deflection.
Open or
Long, slender
Thin-walled or plate-like asymmetric
columns or
Common in sections (e.g., I-beams, sections like
compression
hollow tubes). angles or
members.
channels.
Torsional rigidity
Slenderness ratio Plate slenderness
Critical (GJ) and
(KL/r) and moment of (b/t)where b = width,
Parameters section
inertia (I). t = thickness).
properties.
COMPARISON OF
COLUMN SIZES
 Intermediate
Aspect Short Columns Long Columns
Columns
Relatively short in Moderate length Relatively long
Length proportion to their relative to cross- compared to their
cross-section. section. cross-section.
Moderate
Slenderness Ratio Low slenderness High slenderness
slenderness ratio
(λ) ratio (λ<< 50). ratio (λ>100).
(50≤λ≤100).
Fails due to Fails due to a
Fails due to elastic
material yielding combination of
Failure Mode buckling well
before any yielding and
before yielding.
buckling occurs. buckling.
 Intermediate
Aspect Short Columns Long Columns
Columns
High compressive Moderate load Lower load
load capacity capacity, as capacity because
Load Capacity because buckling buckling partially buckling
is not a significant affects dominates the
factor. performance. failure mechanism.
Primarily Strongly influenced
Affected by both
Critical Load influenced by by slenderness and
material strength
Dependency material strength the effective
and slenderness.
and cross-section. length.
High compressive Moderate load Lower load
load capacity capacity, as capacity because
Load Capacity because buckling buckling partially buckling
is not a significant affects dominates the
factor. performance. failure mechanism.
CRITICAL LOAD FORMULA
(THE EULER FORMULA)
The stress at which the columns buckles(the specific stress level at which a column
becomes unstable and buckles) decreases as the column becomes longer.

Elastic buckling stress applies to a specific scenario where a column, long and
slender, loses stability due to compressive stress but remains within its elastic range.

For the column to buckle elastically, it will have to be long and slender.

The buckling load P can be calculated using Euler Formula

2 𝑃 𝜋2𝐸 𝐼
𝜋 𝐸𝐼 where 𝑟=
𝑃= 2 = = 𝐹𝑒
𝐿 𝐴 (𝐿 )2 𝐴
𝑟
P=critical load r=radius of gyration
E=modulus of elasticity A=cross-sectional area of column
I=moment of inertia Fe=Euler Buckling Stress
L=length of column
𝑟
“
These equations show that the buckling stress is not a
function of material strength. Rather, it is a function of ratio
𝐿
known as the slenderness ratio. As the slenderness ratio
increases, the buckling stress decreases, meaning that as
the column becomes longer and slender, the load that
causes buckling becomes smaller.
EXAMPLE 1
A W10x22 is used as a 15-ft long pin-connected column. Using the
Euler expression, determine the column’s critical or buckling load.
Assume that the steel has a proportional limit of 36 ksi. Recalculate if
the length is changed to 8 ft.
Part 1
GIVEN: W10x22
𝐴 = 6.49𝑖𝑛2 , 𝑟𝑥 = 4.27 𝑖𝑛, 𝑟𝑦 = 1.33 𝑖𝑛, 𝐸 = 29 × 103 𝑘𝑠𝑖
𝐿 12𝑥15
= = 135.34
𝑟 1.33

(𝜋 2 )(29𝑥103 )
𝐹𝑒 = 2
= 15.63 𝑘𝑠𝑖 < 36 𝑘𝑠𝑖 𝑂𝐾!
(135.34)

𝑃 = 𝐹𝑒 × 𝐴 = 15.63 6.49 = 101.4 𝑘𝑖𝑝𝑠

Part 2
GIVEN: Using 8 ft - W10x22
𝐴 = 6.49𝑖𝑛2 , 𝑟𝑥 = 4.27 𝑖𝑛, 𝑟𝑦 = 1.33 𝑖𝑛
𝐿 12𝑥8
= = 72.18
𝑟 1.33

(𝜋 2 )(29𝑥103 )
𝐹𝑒 = 2
= 54.94 𝑘𝑠𝑖 > 36 𝑘𝑠𝑖
(72.18)

∴ column is in inelastic range and Euler equation is not applicable

The Euler buckling formula assumes the material remains entirely elastic
throughout the buckling process.

if the calculated critical stress exceeds the proportional limit, the

material starts yielding before buckling occurs. In such cases, Euler's
equation no longer applies, and other approaches, like inelastic
buckling analysis or alternative models must be used.
Inelastic buckling methods account for the material's behavior beyond
the elastic range, where yielding and plastic deformation occur.

Both the NSCP (National Structural Code of the Philippines) and AISC
(American Institute of Steel Construction) provide guidelines for column
design, but they don't explicitly outline detailed methods for inelastic
buckling analysis. Instead, they offer design curves and provisions that
account for inelastic behavior indirectly.
EFFECTIVE LENGTH
Effective length is the length of a structural member (like a
column or beam) between points of zero moment or inflection
points where the member is restrained from lateral
displacement or rotation
Effective length is the length of a structural member (like a
column or beam) between points of zero moment or inflection
points where the member is restrained from lateral
displacement or rotation

The restraints placed on a column’s ends greatly affect its

stability. To counter these effects, an effective length factor, 𝐾,
is used to modify the unbraced length. The product 𝐾𝐿 is called
the effective length of the column.
The effective slenderness ratio of compression members is
calculated as

𝑲𝑳
𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑺𝑹 =
𝒓
EFFECTIVE LENGTH FACTORS

Source: Steel Construction Manual, 13th ed., December 2005 (Chicago, AISC)
Stiffened and Unstiffened
Elements
In structural engineering, stiffened and unstiffened elements
refer to parts of structural members that have different
capacities to resist loads, particularly in bending and buckling.
Stiffened elements are parts of a structure that are supported
along multiple edges or are reinforced to improve their ability to
resist deformations such as buckling under load. They are
typically found in regions where higher strength and stiffness are
required.

•Supported along both sides or edges, such as in a plate

bordered by stiffeners or within a section.

•Better ability to resist bending or compression loads.

•Reinforcements or stiffeners (e.g., ribs, flanges) increase the

load-carrying capacity.
Unstiffened elements are structural components that are not
reinforced or supported along all edges, leaving them more
prone to deformation or buckling under load.

•Supported along a single edge or partially unsupported.

•Lower capacity to resist loads compared to stiffened elements.

•More susceptible to local deformations, particularly in slender

members subjected to compression.
Column Formulas
1. LRFD (Load and Resistance Factor Design)

LRFD is a modern, probabilistic design approach that uses safety

factors applied separately to loads and material resistances. It
accounts for uncertainties in material properties, load effects, and
structural behavior.

2. ASD (Allowable Strength Design)

ASD is a traditional design method that ensures the applied stresses

on a structure remain within a permissible (allowable) limit of the
material's strength, considering a single safety factor.
EXAMPLE: For the given column, determine the
LRFD design strength and the ASD allowable
strength if a 50-ksi steel is used.
Given:
𝑊12 × 72 ( 𝐴 = 21.1 𝑖𝑛2 , 𝑟𝑥 = 5.31 𝑖𝑛. , 𝑟𝑦 = 3.04 𝑖𝑛. , 𝑑 = 12.3 𝑖𝑛. , 𝑏𝑓 =
12 𝑖𝑛. , 𝑡𝑓 = 0.670 𝑖𝑛, 𝑡𝑤 = 0.430 𝑖𝑛. )

Solve for effective slenderness ratio:

𝐾𝐿 (0.8)(12 × 15)
= = 47.37
𝑟𝑦 3.04
Solve for Euler critical stress:

𝜋 2𝐸 𝜋 2 (29,000)
𝐹𝑒 = = = 127.55 𝑘𝑠𝑖
𝐾𝐿 (47.37) 2
( )2
𝑟

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐹𝑙𝑒𝑥𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝐹𝑐𝑟

𝐸 29000𝑘𝑠𝑖
4.71 = 4.71 = 113 > 47.37
𝐹𝑦 50𝑘𝑠𝑖

𝐹𝑦 50
∴ 𝐹𝑐𝑟 = 0.658𝐹𝑒 𝐹𝑦 = 0.658127.55 50 = 42.43 𝑘𝑠𝑖
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝐿𝑅𝐹𝐷:

0.9 42.43 21.1 = 805.8 𝑘𝑖𝑝𝑠

𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑆𝐷:

42.43
(21.1) = 536.2 𝑘𝑖𝑝𝑠
1.67