Compression Members

Outline
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

Example CM-1 (UC with intermediate restraint under compression)

Example CM-2 (CHS under compression)
2

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 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 chapter.
Compression members must be checked for
resistance of cross-sections
buckling resistance of members

Resistance of Cross-Section

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

Internal element

c / t 42

EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.2.4 (2)

Outstand element

Non slender

c / t 14

Sections NOT PRONE to local buckling

Sections PRONE to local buckling

Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections are

unaffected by local buckling.

Class 4 sections suffers from local buckling

which prevents the attainment of squash load.

Design resistance of cross-section Nc,Rd

equals the plastic resistance Npl,Rd.

Design resistance of cross-section Nc,Rd

limited to local buckling resistance.

N c , Rd =

Af y

M0

M0 = 1.00

N c , Rd =

Aeff f y

M0

If Class 4 section is unsymmetrical, it has to be

designed as beam-column due to the additional
moment arising from eccentricity of the
centroidal axis.
5

Buckling Resistance of Member

Elastic Buckling of Columns

Euler Buckling Load
Ncr = EI
Lcr 2
2

I = i2 A
i = radius of gyration

Buckling stress
N cr
2 E
=
f cr =
A (Lcr / i) 2

Buckling Curve of Perfect Column

Failure by elastic buckling

N cr 2 EI 2 Ei 2 2 E
f cr =
=
= 2 = 2
2
A
ALcr
Lcr

Lcr
is the column slenderness.
i
A
is the radius of gyration.
i=
I

where =

fy
Failure by
Cross section yielding

Euler elastic buckling

Lcr
=
i

When fcr = fy, = 1

2E
f y = 2 1 =
1

E
fy

Factors Influence the Buckling of Columns

f /fy

=0

1.0

Euler buckling curve

0.8

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Imperfect
columns

0.6

Effective length of Column

Residual Stresses
Member initial out-of-straightness
Types of cross section
Local buckling of component plate

0.4
0.2

Elastic buckling
Practical Region
Inelastic buckling

0.0
0

/ 1
9

Factors that affect overall buckling of columns

2
T -125 N/mm
C
+260 N/mm

+55 N/mm

C
C

=L / 1000

Rolled Section
T
T

Initial out of straightness

C
C

C
T

T
Web Distribution

Welded section
10

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

taken as:

Design buckling resistance Nb,Rd should be

taken as:

N b , Rd

Af y
=
M1

M1 = 1.00

N b , Rd

Aeff f y
=
M1

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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14/8/2013

Reduction Factor for Buckling Resistance

EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.3.1.2

1
+
2

but 1.0

where = 0.5[1 + ( 0.2) + 2 ]

imperfection factor (refer to Table 6.1 & 6.2)

non-dimensional slenderness

N cr =

2 EI
2
cr

Af y

Aeff f y

N cr
N cr

for Class 1, 2 and 3 cross - sections

for Class 4 cross - sections

For 0.2 , or for N Ed 0.04 , the buckling resistance check

N cr

can be ignored and only cross sectional checks apply.

12

Buckling length
Lcr = effective length in BS5950
No guidance given in EC3

NCCI
Use same factors as BS5950
Applied to system length, L

13

Elastic Critical Force & Buckling Length

N cr =

2 EI
L2cr

where

Second moment of area which is determined based on the

gross cross sectional properties for all classes of cross-sections.
Lcr Buckling length in the buckling plane considered.
I

Nominal buckling lengths Lcr for compression members

Non-sway mode

Sway mode

14

Non-Dimensional Slenderness for Flexural Buckling

For Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections,

Af y
=
N cr

A 1
Af y
=
Lcr

2
2
( EI / Lcr )
I

Lcr f y
= / 1
i E

= Lcr/i

fy

1 = (E/fy)0.5

For Class 4 cross-sections,

Aeff f y
=
N cr

= Lcr
i

Aeff
Aeff f y
Lcr
=
2
2
A
( EI / Lcr )

Aeff

fy

A 1

fy

15

Buckling Curves of Imperfect Columns

f /fy

=0

1.0

Euler buckling curve

0.8

=0.13
=0.21
0.6 =0.34
=0.49
=0.76

0.4
0.2
0.0
0

/ 1
16

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
Imperfection factor

a0

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
Typical residual stress profile in a hot-rolled I-section
Residual compressive stress
Residual tensile stress

17

Design Procedure

18

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
Limiting slenderness 1
non-dimensional slenderness
appropriate strut curve (a0, a, b, c or d) from Table 6.2
imperfection factor from Table 6.1
buckling reduction factor
Use the smaller value of to determine buckling resistance Nb,Rd.
Check if Nb,Rd > NEd. Else, repeat steps .
19

Examples

20

Example CM-1: Universal column with intermediate restraint under compression

Determine the maximum compression load that can be taken by a 5m column using
203x203x60UC 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.
y

2.5m

z
A

y
Section AA
2.5m

N
21

Yield Strength
tw = 9.4mm, tf = 14.2mm.
Maximum thickness = 14.2mm < 16mm (EN 10025-2)
For S275 steel, fy = 275N/mm2

Section Classification
= (235/fy)0.5 = 0.92
Classification of flange
c f / t f = 6.20 9 = 9 * 0.92 = 8.32
Flange is Class 1 (Plastic).
Classification of web
cw / t w = 17.1 33 = 33 * 0.92 = 30.4
Web is Class 1 (Plastic).

Section is Class 1 (PLASTIC).

22

Resistance of CrossSection
N c , Rd = N pl , Rd =

Af y

M0

(76.4 * 102 )(275) * 10 3

=
= 2101kN
1.0

Flexural Buckling about y-y axis

Lcr , y = 500cm

1 = E / f y = 210000/275 = 86.8
y =

Lcr , y 1 500 1
=
= 0.643

i y 1 8.96 86.8

h 209.6
=
= 1.02 < 1.2 & t f = 14.2mm < 100mm
b 205.8
Use buckling curve b = 0.34
y = 0.5[1 + ( y 0.2) + y2 ] = 0.782
1
y =
= 0.815
2
2
y + y y
N b , y , Rd = y

Af y

M1

Buckling curve
Imperfection factor

(76.4 * 102 ) * 275

= 0.815 *
* 10 3 = 1712kN
1.0

a0

0.13

0.21

0.34

0.49

0.76

23

Flexural Buckling about z-z axis

Lcr , z = 250cm

1 = 86.8

Lcr , z 1 250 1
z =
=
= 0.554

iz 1 5.20 86.8
h
< 1.2 & t f < 100mm
b
Use buckling curve c = 0.49
z = 0.5[1 + (z 0.2) + z2 ] = 0.740
1
z =
= 0.812
2
2
Buckling curve
z + z z
Imperfection factor
2
Af y
(76.4 * 10 ) * 275
= 0.812 *
* 10 3 = 1707kN
N b , z , Rd = z
1.0
M1

a0

0.13

0.21

0.34

0.49

0.76

Buckling Resistance of Member

N b , Rd = min( N b , y , Rd , N b , z , Rd ) = 1707kN

24

Example CM-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 2400kN. Assess the suitability of a hot-rolled
244.5x10 CHS in grade 355 steel for this application.

Yield Strength
t = 10.0mm < 16mm (EN 10025-2)
For S355 steel, fy = 355N/mm2

Section Classification
= (235/fy)0.5 = 0.814

d/t = 244.5/10.0 = 24.5 502 = 33.1

Section is Class 1.
25

Resistance of CrossSection
N c , Rd =

Af y

M0

(73.7 * 102 )(355) * 10 3

= 2616kN > 2400kN
=
1.0

Buckling Resistance of Member

Lcr = 400cm

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

= 0.5[1 + ( 0.2) + 2 ] = 0.744

1
+
2

= 0.854

(73.7 * 102 ) * 355

* 103 = 2230kN < 2400kN
= 0.854 *
N b,Rd =
1.0
M1
The chosen cross-section, 244.5x10 CHS, in grade S355 steel is not acceptable.
Af y

Try 244.5x12.5 CHS, in grade S355

26

27

Effective length Lcr of

compression members

Effective length of
column in frame
Lcr =KL
L

28

Projects to Illustrate the

Concept of Steel Design

Prof. Richard Liew

Dept of Civil & Environmental
National University of Singapore

29

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Buckling of compression members

Axial compression causes failure by buckling (out-of-plane
deflection) in slender members.

Buckling about major (x-x) axis.

Buckling about minor (y-y) axis.

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Members with intermediate lateral restraints

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Pin-connected space frame

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Adequate Bracing during

Construction
6
5
4
Sequence of erection

2
1
1

39

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Cantilever Structure

42

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Cantilever trusses
6
5
4
3
2
1
1

49

Lateral bracing for

cantilever trusses
6
5
4
3
2
1
1
Purlin

Fly bracing

Cantilever truss

50

Question
y

Lcr,y = ?
Lcr,z = ?