STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER

In many small structures, column axial forces can be easily computed from
COMPRESSION MEMBER the reactions of the beams that they support or computed directly from floor or
roof loads. This is possible if the member connections do not transfer moment;
in other words, if the column is not part of a rigid frame. For columns in rigid
frames, there are calculable bending moments as well as axial forces, and a
frame analysis is necessary. The AISC Specification provides for three methods
of analysis to obtain the axial forces and bending moments in members of a
rigid frame:
1. Direct analysis method
2. Effective length method
3. First-order analysis method
Except in very simple cases, computer software is used for the analysis.
While the details of these three methods are beyond the scope of the present
chapter, more will be said about them in Chapter 6 “Beam–Columns”.

MODES OF BUCKLING
There are three general modes of which axially loaded columns can fail. When
INTRODUCTION an axially loaded compression member becomes unstable overall (that is, not
Compression members are structural elements that are subjected only to locally unstable), it can buckle in one of the three ways.
axial compressive forces; that is, the loads are applied along a longitudinal axis Flexural Buckling (also called Euler Buckling). It is the primary type of
through the centroid of the member cross section, and the stress can be taken buckling caused by bending, or flexure, about the axis corresponding to the
as f = P/A, where f is considered to be uniform over the entire cross section. largest slenderness ratio. This is usually the minor principal axis — the one
This ideal state is never achieved in reality, however, because some with the smallest radius of gyration. Compression members with any type of
eccentricity of the load is inevitable. Bending will result, but it usually can be cross-sectional configuration can fail in this way.
regarded as secondary. As we shall see, the AISC Specification equations for
compression member strength account for this accidental eccentricity. Torsional Buckling. This mode of buckling is caused by twisting about the
The most common type of compression member occurring in buildings and longitudinal axis of the member. It can occur only with doubly symmetrical
bridges is the column, a vertical member whose primary function is to support cross sections with very slender cross-sectional elements. Standard hot-rolled
vertical loads. In many instances, these members are also subjected to shapes are not susceptible to torsional buckling, but members built up from
bending, and in these cases, the member is a beam–column. We cover this thin plate elements may be and should be investigated. The cruciform shape
topic in Chapter 6. Compression members are also used in trusses and as shown is particularly vulnerable to this type of buckling. This shape can be
components of bracing systems. Smaller compression members not classified fabricated from plates or built up from four angles placed back-to-back.
as columns are sometimes referred to as struts.

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
Flexural-torsional Buckling. This mode of buckling may occur in columns where E is the modulus of elasticity of the material, I is the moment of inertia
that have certain cross- sectional configurations. This is caused by a of the cross-sectional area with respect to the minor principal axis, and L is the
combination of flexural buckling and torsional buckling. The member bends length of the member between points of support. For Equation 4.1 to be valid,
and twists simultaneously. This type of failure can occur only with the member must be elastic, and its ends must be free to rotate but not
unsymmetrical cross-sections, both those with one axis of symmetry — such as translate laterally. This end condition is satisfied by hinges or pins, as shown in
channels, structural tees, double—angle shapes, and equal-leg single angles — Figure 4.2. This remarkable relationship was first formulated by Swiss
and those with no axis of symmetry, such as unequal-leg single angles. mathematician Leonhard Euler and published in 1759. The critical load is
COLUMN THEORY sometimes referred to as the Euler load or the Euler buckling load. The validity
of Equation 4.1 has been demonstrated convincingly by numerous tests. Its
derivation is given here to illustrate the importance of the end conditions.
For convenience, in the following derivation, the member will be oriented
with its longitudinal axis along the x-axis of the coordinate system given in
Figure 4.3. The roller support is to be interpreted as restraining the member
from translating either up or down. An axial compressive load is applied and
gradually increased. If a temporary transverse load is applied so as to deflect
the member into the shape indicated by the dashed line, the member will
return to its original position when this temporary load is removed if the axial
load is less than the critical buckling load. The critical
Consider the long, slender compression member shown in Figure 4.1a. If the
buckling load, Pcr, is defined as the load that is just large enough to maintain
axial load P is slowly applied, it will ultimately become large enough to cause
the deflected shape when the temporary transverse load is removed.
the member to become unstable and assume the shape indicated by the
The differential equation giving the deflected shape of an elastic member
dashed line. The member is said to have buckled, and the corresponding load
subjected to bending is
is called the critical buckling load.
If the member is stockier, as shown in Figure 4.1b, a larger load will be
required to bring the member to the point of instability. For extremely stocky Eqn 4.2

members, failure may occur by compressive yielding rather than buckling. Prior
to failure, the compressive stress P/A will be uniform over the cross section at where x locates a point along the longitudinal axis of the member, y is the
any point along the length, whether the failure is by yielding or by buckling. deflection of the axis at that point, and M is the bending moment at the point.
The load at which buckling occurs is a function of slenderness, and for very E and I were previously defined, and here the moment of inertia I is with
slender members this load could be quite small. respect to the axis of bending (buckling). This equation was derived by Jacob
If the member is so slender (we give a precise definition of slenderness Bernoulli and independently by Euler, who specialized it for the column
shortly) that the stress just before buckling is below the proportional limit— buckling problem (Timoshenko, 1953). If we begin at the point of buckling,
that is, the member is still elastic—the critical buckling load is given by then from Figure 4.3 the bending moment is Pcry. Equation 4.2 can then be
written as

4.1
PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).
STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER

where the prime denotes differentiation with respect to x. This is a second-

order, linear, ordinary differential equation with constant coefficients and has
the solution
y = A cos(cx) + B sin(cx)

The various values of n correspond to different buckling modes; n = 1

represents the first mode, n = 2 the second, and so on. A value of zero gives
the trivial case of no load. These buckling modes are illustrated in Figure 4.4.
Values of n larger than 1 are not possible unless the compression member is
physically restrained from deflecting at the points where the reversal of
curvature would occur.

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
The solution to the differential equation is therefore Early researchers soon found that Euler’s equation did not give reliable results
for stocky, or less slender, compression members. The reason is that the small
slenderness ratio for members of this type causes a large buckling stress (from
Equation 4.4). If the stress at which buckling occurs is greater than the
proportional limit of the material, the relation between stress and strain is not
linear, and the modulus of elasticity E can no longer be used. (In Example 4.1,
the stress at buckling is Pcr/A = 278.7/14.6 = 19.09 ksi, which is well below
the proportional limit for any grade of structural steel.)
This difficulty was initially resolved by Friedrich Engesser, who proposed in
1889 the use of a variable tangent modulus, Et, in Equation 4.3. For a material
with a stress–strain curve like the one shown in Figure 4.5, E is not a constant
for stresses greater than the proportional limit Fpl. The tangent modulus Et is
defined as the slope of the tangent to the stress–strain curve for values of f
between Fpl and Fy. If the compressive stress at buckling, Pcr/A, is in this
region, it can be shown that

where A is the cross-sectional area and r is the radius of gyration with respect
to the axis of buckling. The ratio L/r is the slenderness ratio and is the
measure of a member’s slenderness, with large values corresponding to
slender members. If the critical load is divided by the cross-sectional area, the
critical buckling stress is obtained:

Eqn 4.4

At this compressive stress, buckling will occur about the axis corresponding to r.
Buckling will take place as soon as the load reaches the value given by
Equation 4.3, and the column will become unstable about the principal axis The stress–strain curve shown in Figure 4.5 is different from those
corresponding to the largest slenderness ratio. This axis usually is the axis with shown earlier for ductile steel (in Figures 1.3 and 1.4) because it has a
the smaller moment of inertia (we examine exceptions to this condition later). pronounced region of nonlinearity. This curve is typical of a compression test
Thus the minimum moment of inertia and radius of gyration of the cross of a short length of W-shape called a stub column, rather than the result of a
section should ordinarily be used in Equations 4.3 and 4.4. tensile test. The nonlinearity is primarily because of the presence of residual
PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).
STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
stresses in the W-shape. When a hot-rolled shape cools after rolling, all
elements of the cross section do not cool at the same rate. The tips of the
flanges, for example, cool faster than the junction of the flange and the web.
This uneven cooling induces stresses that remain permanently. Other factors,
such as welding and cold-bending to create curvature in a beam, can
contribute to the residual stress, but the cooling process is its chief source.
Note that Et is smaller than E and for the same L/r corresponds to a
smaller critical load, Pcr. Because of the variability of Et, computation of Pcr in
the inelastic range by the use of Equation 4.5 is difficult. In general, a trial-
and-error approach must be used, and a compressive stress–strain curve such
as the one shown in Figure 4.5 must be used to determine Et for trial values of
Pcr. For this reason, most design specifications, including the AISC
Specification, contain empirical formulas for inelastic columns. Effective Length
Engesser’s tangent modulus theory had its detractors, who pointed Both the Euler and tangent modulus equations are based on the following
out several inconsistencies. Engesser was convinced by their arguments, and in assumptions:
1895 he refined his theory to incorporate a reduced modulus, which has a 1. The column is perfectly straight, with no initial crookedness.
value between E and Et . Test results, however, always agreed more closely 2. The load is axial, with no eccentricity.
with the tangent modulus theory. Shanley (1947) resolved the apparent 3. The column is pinned at both ends.
inconsistencies in the original theory, and today the tangent modulus formula, The first two conditions mean that there is no bending moment in the member
Equation 4.5, is accepted as the correct one for inelastic buckling. Although the before buckling. As mentioned previously, some accidental moment will be
load predicted by this equation is actually a lower bound on the true value of present, but in most cases it can be ignored. The requirement for pinned ends,
the critical load, the difference is slight (Bleich, 1952). however, is a serious limitation, and provisions must be made for other support
For any material, the critical buckling stress can be plotted as a function of conditions. The pinned-end condition requires that the member be restrained
slenderness, as shown in Figure 4.6. The tangent modulus curve is tangent to from lateral translation, but not rotation, at the ends. Constructing a
the Euler curve at the point corresponding to the proportional limit of the frictionless pin connection is virtually impossible, so even this support condition
material. The composite curve, called a column strength curve, completely can only be closely approximated at best. Obviously, all columns must be free
describes the strength of any column of a given material. Other than Fy, E, and to deform axially. Other end conditions can be accounted for in the derivation
Et, which are properties of the material, the strength is a function only of the of Equation 4.3.
slenderness ratio. In general, the bending moment will be a function of x, resulting in a
nonhomogeneous differential equation. The boundary conditions will be
different from those in the original derivation, but the overall procedure will be
the same. The form of the resulting equation for Pcr will also be the same. For
example, consider a compression member pinned at one end and fixed against
rotation and translation at the other, as shown in Figure 4.7. The Euler
equation for this case, derived in the same manner as Equation 4.3, is
PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).
STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
end translation is possible. Two values of K are given: a theoretical value and a
recommended design value to be used when the ideal end condition is
approximated. Hence, unless a “fixed” end is perfectly fixed, the more
or conservative design values are to be used. Only under the most extraordinary
circumstances would the use of the theoretical values be justified. Note,
however, that the theoretical and recommended design values are the same
for conditions (d) and (f) in Commentary Table C-A-7.1. The reason is that any
deviation from a perfectly frictionless hinge or pin introduces rotational
restraint and tends to reduce K. Therefore, use of the theoretical values in
these two cases is conservative.
The use of the effective length KL in place of the actual length L in no way
alters any of the relationships discussed so far. The column strength curve
shown in Figure 4.6 is unchanged except for renaming the abscissa KL/r . The
critical buckling stress corresponding to a given length, actual or effective,
remains the same.

Thus this compression member has the same load capacity as a column that is
pinned at both ends and is only 70% as long as the given column. Similar
expressions can be found for columns with other end conditions.
The column buckling problem can also be formulated in terms of a fourth-
order differential equation instead of Equation 4.2. This proves to be
convenient when dealing with boundary conditions other than pinned ends.
For convenience, the equations for critical buckling load will be written as

4.6a/4.6b

where KL is the effective length, and K is the effective length factor. The
effective length factor for the fixed-pinned compression member is 0.70. For
the most favorable condition of both ends fixed against rotation and translation,
K = 0.5. Values of K for these and other cases can be determined with the aid
of Table C-A-7.1 in the Commentary to AISC Specification Appendix 7. The
three conditions mentioned thus far are included, as well as some for which
PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).
STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
SECTION 505 OF NSCP 2015
DESIGN OF MEMBERS FOR COMPRESSION

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
PROBLEM 1
A 6m long W12x50 compression member is used. Assume the member is
hinged at the top and fixed at the bottom for buckling in either principal
direction. Use A992 Steel Fy = 345 MPa. Compute:
A. Slenderness Ratio.
B. Euler’s Buckling Stress.
C. Allowable and Design Axial Compressive strength
W12x50 Properties
A = 9420 mm 2
tf = 16.3 mm ry = 49.8 mm
d = 310 mm tw = 9.40 mm bf/2tf = 6.31
bf = 205 mm rx = 132 mm h/tw = 26.8

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
PROBLEM 2
A W18x46 is used as a column having a length of 9m long. Assume the
member is hinged at the top and fixed at the bottom for buckling in either
principal axis. The column is braced at a point 5.4m above the bottom
support with respect to its weak axis. Using a36 steel. Determine the Axial
compressive strength.
W12x50 Properties
A = 8710 mm 2
tf = 15.4 mm ry = 32.8 mm
d = 460 mm tw = 9.14 mm bf/2tf = 5.01
bf = 154 mm rx = 184 mm h/tw = 44.6

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
PROBLEM 3
A built up members is used as a column having a length of 18 ft. Assume
the member is hinged at the top and bottom for buckling in either
principal direction. Use A992 steel. Determine the axial compressive
strength. (ASD and LFRD)

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN COMPRESSION MEMBER
PROBLEM 4
Compute the compressive nominal strength permitted on the non
standard I-Shaped section shown in figure. (KL)y = 12 ft and (KL)x = 6 ft.
Use A992 Steel.

PREPARED BY: Ihs4n_Kyut:).