CEng4206-Design of Steel and

Timber Structures
Chapter Three

Design of
Compression
Members
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25
 Outlines
 Introduction
 Classification of cross section
 Design consideration
 Design of compression members

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 Learning outcomes of this chapter
 Design steel structural members subjected to pure
compression.

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 Introduction
 A structural member is considered to be a
compression member if it is designed primarily to
resist axial compression, though some bending may
also be present and accounted for in the design.
 If the bending action is quite significant, the
member is termed as a beam-column and designed
in a different way.

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 Introduction
 Terms such as column, stanchions, posts and struts
are widely used to define a compression member.
 Columns are ordinarily used in buildings, are
vertical and transmit actual load or beam reaction to
another column or foundation.
 Stanchions are steel columns made of rolled steel
sections (usually built – up) and carry heavy loads.

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 Introduction
 Struts on the other hand are not necessarily vertical
and are used as compression members in roof
trusses and bridge trusses.
 Similarly, the main compression members of a roof
truss are known as rafters.
 Post is loosely used for a column but the end
member of a bridge truss is known as the end-post.

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 Introduction
 Compression member in building

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 Introduction
 Compression member in bridges

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 Introduction
 Compression member in frame bracing

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 Introduction
 Compression member in trusses

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 Introduction
 Rolled profile and built-up sections are used
usually for members in compression.
 For example; single angle, double angles, tees,
channels and structural hollow sections are the
common sections used for struts in trusses, lattice
girders and bracing.

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 Introduction

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 Introduction

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 Classification of cross section
 According to ES EN 1993-1-1:2015 section 5.5
steel cross-sections are classified into four classes.

1. Class 1 or Plastic cross-sections

2. Class 2 or Compact cross-sections

3. Class 3 or Semi-compact cross-sections

4. Class 4 or Slender (thin-walled) cross-sections

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 Classification of cross section
1. Class 1 or Plastic cross-sections
 Class 1 cross sections also known as plastic
sections can develop their plastic moment resistance
with the sufficient rotation capacity required for
plastic analysis.
 Only cross sections falling in this class may be used
for plastic design.

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 Classification of cross section
2. Class 2 or Compact cross-sections
 Class 2 cross-sections are those which can develop their plastic
moment resistance but have limited rotation capacity because of
local buckling.

3. Class 3 or Semi-compact cross-sections

 Class 3 cross-sections are those in which the stress in the extreme
compression fiber of the steel member assuming an elastic
distribution of stresses can reach the yield strength, but local
buckling is liable to prevent development of the plastic moment
resistance.
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 Classification of cross section
4. Class 4 or Slender (thin-walled) cross-sections
 Class 4 cross sections also known as thin-walled
cross-sections are those in which local buckling is
liable to prevent the development of the yield
moment i.e. premature buckling occurs before yield
is reached.

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 Classification of cross section
 In Class 4 cross sections effective widths may be
used to make the necessary allowances for
reductions in resistance due to the effects of local
buckling (see ES EN 1993-1-5: 2015 section 4.4).
Class of cross- Resistance Rotational
section capacity
1 Plastic High
2 Plastic Low
3 Elastic None
4 Plastic None

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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section
How to classify structural steel cross-sections?
 As per ES EN 1993-1-1:2015 section 5.5.2, the
classification of structural steel cross-sections depends
on the classification of flange and web elements.
 The classification also depends on whether the
compression elements are in pure compression, pure
bending or combined axial force and bending.

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 Classification of cross section
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 Classification of cross section
Components of cross-section
 A cross-section is composed of different plate
elements such as web and flanges.
 If most of these elements in compression, can be
separated into two categories:

i. Internal elements

ii. Outstand elements

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 Classification of cross section
 Internal elements:– these elements are considered
to be simply supported along two edge parallel to
the direction of compressive stress.
 Outstand elements:– these elements are considered
to be attached along one edge and free on the other
edge parallel to the direction of compressive stress.

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 Classification of cross section

 Compression element include any component plate which is

either totally or partially in compression due to axial force or
bending moment i.e. classification depends on the loading
the section is experiencing.
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 Classification of cross section
 The classification of a cross-section depends on the
width to thickness ratio of the parts subject to
compression.
 If the section dimensions satisfy the limits shown in
the Table 5.2, the section is classified as class 1,
class 2 or class 3 as applicable.

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 Classification of cross section
 The various compression parts in a cross-section
(such as a web or flange) can in general be in
different classes.
 For this case, a cross-section is classified according to
the highest (least favorable) class of its compression
parts.
 If a section fails to satisfy the limits for class 3
sections, it is classified as class 4.
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 Classification of cross section
 Where the web is considered to resist shear forces only
and is assumed not to contribute to the bending and
normal force resistance of the cross section, the cross
section may be designed as class 2, 3 or 4 sections
depending only on the flange class.
 However, when verifying the design buckling resistance
of a member using ES EN 1993-1-1:2015 section 6.3, the
limiting proportions for class 3 should always be
satisfied.
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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section
 One of the major factors in determining the limiting
width to thickness ratio is the parameter .
 This parameter is used to reflect the influence of
yield stress on the section classification.

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 Classification of cross section
Effective section properties of class 4 cross-section
 Generally, the neutral axis of the effective section
will shift by a dimension e compared to the neutral
axis of the gross section.
 This should be taken into account when calculating
the properties of the effective cross-section.

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 Classification of cross section
 The effective cross sectional properties of members should be based
on the effective areas of the compression elements and on the
effectives area of the tension elements due to shear lag.
 The effective area should be determined assuming that the cross
section is subject only to stresses due to uniform axial compression.
 For non-symmetrical cross sections the possible shift of the
centroid of the effective area relative to the center of gravity of the
gross cross section gives an additional moment which should be
taken into account in the cross section verification using ES EN
1993-1-5:2015 section 4.6.
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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section

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 Figure: Class 4 cross-sections - bending moment
(Source: Adopted from ES EN 1993-1-5:2015)

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Classification of cross section

38
 Classification of cross section
 The effective cross-section properties for class 4
cross-section may be determined based on the
effective area of the compression elements.
 In class 4 cross sections effective widths may be
used to make the necessary allowances for
reductions in resistance due to the effects of local
buckling (see ES EN 1993-1-5:2015 section 4.4).

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 Classification of cross section
 For members with class 4 sections, the effect of local
plate buckling on the overall member behavior has to
be taken into account.
 The buckling is allowed for by using effective cross­-
sections which assume parts of the gross cross-section
is inactive.
 Therefore

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 Classification of cross section

Where is reduction factor for plate buckling

dependent on the plate slenderness .
 The reduction factor may be obtained as follows:

 For internal compression elements:

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 Classification of cross section
 For outstand compression elements:

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 Classification of cross section
 is the stress ratio determined in accordance with
Table 4.1 and 4.2 ES EN 1993-1-5:2015
 is the appropriate width to be taken as follows (for
definitions, see Table 5.2 of EN 1993- 1-1:2015)

For webs;

For internal flange elements;

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 Classification of cross section
For flanges of RHS;

For outstand flanges;

For equal-leg angles;

For unequal-leg angles;

 is the buckling factor corresponding to the stress ratio ψ
and boundary conditions.
 For long plates is given in Table 4.1 or Table 4.2 as
appropriate.
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 Classification of cross section
 is the thickness

 is the elastic critical plate buckling stress see

equation Table 4.1 and Table 4.2

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 Classification of cross section

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 Classification of cross section

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 Design consideration
 In the design of compression members, we are
assumed that external applied load is applied at the
geometrical centroid of the section.
 Unless a moment acts on a member and this
moment results from a number of effects which
make an apparently axial load acts eccentrically.

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 Design consideration
Causes of moment acts on a compression member
 The fact that no member can be made perfectly straight
(i.e. geometric imperfection).
 Imperfection in manufacturing leaving some part of
the member with slightly different mechanical
properties from the remainder.
 Inability to ensure that the load actually acts along the
center of area of the cross-section.
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 Design consideration
 Residual stresses due to uneven cooling, cold
bending, punching of holes, cutting and welding
that remain in a member after it has been formed
into finished product.
 Section should be proportioned such that to have the
largest radius of gyration i.e. less slender.

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 Design consideration
Euler critical stress

 Consider is the stress for slenderness ratio

substituting it in to the above expression one can
obtain the following:

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 Design consideration
for S235
and

 is referred as the slenderness ratio of the column

that measures the column tendency for buckling.

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 Design consideration

Figure: Variation of critical stress with slenderness

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 Design consideration
 Therefore, columns are distinguished as:

 Stocky columns with characteristics of very low

slenderness, unaffected by overall buckling and failure
results from rupture of cross-section
 Medium slenderness affected by imperfection and failure
load is less than Euler load.
 Large slenderness largely affected by imperfection,
ultimate failure load ≈ Euler load and independent of yield
stress.
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 Design consideration
 Compression members can fail by yielding, inelastic
buckling or elastic buckling depending on the
slenderness ratio of the members as well as in local
buckling that is usually influenced by the relative
thickness of the component elements that constitute the
cross section.
 Members with low slenderness ratios generally tend to
fail by yielding, whereas members with high slenderness
ratios tend to fail by elastic buckling.
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 Design consideration

Member buckling modes

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 Design consideration
 In addition to slenderness ratio and cross-sectional
shape, the behavior of compression members is affected
by the width-to-thickness ratio of the component
elements that constitute the cross section.
 If the width-to-thickness ratio falls within a limiting
value stipulated by relevant codes and specifications,
local buckling of the component element will not occur.

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 Design of compression members
 Compression members are to be designed in such a
way that both the cross-sections resistance
(buckling and bending resistance) to applied loads
be established and member capacity verified
against possible buckling failures.
 This chapter will cover only buckling resistance of
axially loaded compression members.

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 Design of compression members
Resistance of Compression members
a) Compression resistance of cross-section (ES EN
1993-1-1:2015 section 6.2.4)
 For members in axial compression, the design value
of the compressive force at each cross-section shall
satisfy:

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 Design of compression members
 The design resistance of the cross-section for
uniform compression should be determined as
follows:
for class 1,2 or 3 cross-sections
for class 4 cross-section

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 Design of compression members
b) Buckling resistance of compression members (ES
EN 1993-1-1:2015 section 6.3)
 A compression member should be verified against
buckling as follows:

Where is the design value of the compression force;

is the design buckling resistance of the compression
member.
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 Design of compression members
 The design buckling resistance of a compression
member should be taken as:
for Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections
for class 4 cross-section
where is the reduction factor for the relevant buckling
mode.

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 Design of compression members
 For axial compression in members the value of for
the appropriate non-dimensional slenderness
should be determined from the relevant buckling
curve according to:

Where

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 Design of compression members
for Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections
for class 4 cross-sections
is an imperfection factor
is the elastic critical force for the relevant buckling
mode based on the gross cross sectional properties.

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 Design of compression members
 is an imperfection factor depends on:

 The shape of the cross-section

 The direction of buckling (y or z axis)

 The fabrication process (hot-rolled , welded or cold-

formed )
 The imperfection factor corresponding to the
appropriate buckling curve should be obtained from
Table 6.1 and Table 6.2 ES EN 1993-1-1:2015.
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 Design of compression members


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 Design of compression members

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 Design of compression members
 Values of the reduction factor for the appropriate
non-dimensional slenderness may also be obtained
from Figure 6.4.
Note: For slenderness or for the buckling effects may
be ignored and only cross sectional checks apply.

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 Design of compression members

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 Design of compression members
Design steps for axially compressed members

Step 1: Determine the axial load, .

Step 2: Determine the buckling length,

Step 3: Select a trial section (take into consideration

economy, i.e. least weight per unit length).

Step 4: Determine the class of the cross-section

Step 5: Determine the non-dimensional slenderness ratio

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 Design of compression members
Step 6: Determine the appropriate buckling curve
Step 7: Determine the value of
Step 8: Calculate the design buckling resistance of the
member (buckling about both principal axes must be
checked)
Step 9: Check the computed buckling resistance against
the applied load .

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 Design of compression members

E R
P T
H A
E C
T H
O F
N D
E
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