Design of Reinforced Concrete Columns

Columns are defined as members that carry loads chiefly in compression. Usually columns
carry bending moments as well, about one or both axes of the cross section, and the bending
action may produce tensile forces over a part of the cross section.

Three types of reinforced concrete compression members (columns) are in use:

1. Members reinforced with longitudinal bars and lateral ties.

2. Members reinforced with longitudinal bars and continuous spirals.
3. Composite compression members reinforced longitudinally with structural steel
shapes, pipes, or tubing, with or without additional longitudinal bars and various types
of lateral reinforcement.

Types 1 and 2 are by far the most common.

Columns may be divided into two broad categories:

1. Short columns, for which the strength is governed by the strength of the materials and
the geometry of the cross section.
2. Long/slender columns, for which the strength may be significantly reduced by lateral
deflections.
1. Columns under Axial Load only
Because the compression strain in the concrete, at any given load, is equal to the compression
strain in the steel,
f f
c  c  s  s [at low stresses, up to about fc/2]
Ec Es
From which the relation between steel stress and concrete stress is obtained as-
E
f s  s f c  nf c (1)
Ec
Where n=Es/Ec is known as the modular ratio.
The nominal strength of an axially loaded RC column can be found by-

Pn  0.85 f cAc  f y Ast (2a)

or,
Pn  0.85 f cAg  Ast   f y Ast (2b)

According to the ACI Code, the design strength of an axially loaded RC column is found as
follows:
For tied column:
Pn  0.80 0.85 f cAg  Ast   f y Ast  (3a)

with a strength reduction factor of ϕ=0.65

For spirally reinforced column:

Pn  0.85 0.85 f cAg  Ast   f y Ast  (3b)

with ϕ=0.70

1.1 Lateral Ties and Spirals

The main functions of lateral ties and spirals are –
1. To hold the longitudinal bars in position in the forms while the concrete is being
placed.
2. To prevent the highly stressed, slender longitudinal bars from buckling outward by
bursting the thin concrete cover.
1.2 ACI Code Specifications for Reinforced Concrete Column:

Sl. No. Column element Codal specifications

 A 
0.01    st  st   0.08
 Ag 

#5 (i.e. 5/8 in. dia) and larger size bar shall be used.

Longitudinal Minimum 3 nos. of bar shall be used when bars are enclosed
1 by triangular ties.
reinforcements
Minimum 4 nos. of bar shall be used when bars are enclosed
by rectangular or circular ties.

Minimum 6 nos. of bar shall be used when bars are enclosed

by spiral.

#3 (i.e. 3/8 in. dia) bar for longitudinal bars of #5 through

#10.
#4 (i.e. 1/2 in. dia) bar for longitudinal bars of #11, #14, #18,
and bundled bars.
Spacing of ties shall be minimum of the following three:
(i) 16db (db = dia of long bar),
2 Ties (ii) 48dt (dt = dia of tie bar), and

(iii) Least dimension of the column section

Every corner and alternate long bar shall have lateral support
provided by the corner of a tie having an included angle of
not more than 135o, and no bar shall be further than 6 in.
clear on either side from such a laterally supported bar.
Minimum size of bar shall be #3 (i.e. 3/8 in dia)
Clear spacing between two turns of the spiral must not
exceed 3 in. nor be less than 1 in.
3 Spirals 4 Asp
Pitch of spiral, s sp 
d c  sp
 Ag  f
and    sp ,min  o.45  1 c
 Ac  fy
Ag = Gross area of column section
Ast = Total area of longitudinal bars in a column section
Asp = Cross sectional area of spiral wire
dc = Outside diameter of spiral
Ac = Core concrete area (with a diameter of dc) of spiral column section
ρst = Ratio of longitudinal reinforcement in column section
ρsp = Volumetric ratio of spiral (Ratio of the volume of spiral to the volume of core concrete)
ssp = Pitch of spiral (Center to center distance between two consecutive turns of a spiral)
f'c = Cylinder crushing strength of concrete
fy = Yield strength of steel bar
2. Columns under Compression plus Bending
Members that are axially, i.e. concentrically compressed occur rarely, if ever, in buildings
and other structures. Components such as columns chiefly carry loads in compression, but
simultaneously bending is almost always present.

Fig. 1: Unbalanced moments and small eccentricities in columns

When a member is subjected to combined axial compression P and moment M, it is usually

convenient to replace the axial load and moment with an equal load P applied at eccentricity
e=M/P as shown in the following figure.

Fig. 2: Equivalent eccentricity of column load

M  Pe
M
or, e  (4)
P

Fig. 3: Combined action of compression and bending on a column

Magnitude of
Effects on column section
eccentricity (e)
(a) Compression over the entire column section.
Small eccentricity (b) Column may fail by concrete crushing and steel yielding in
compression at heavily loaded side.

(a) Tension over at least a part of the column section.

Large eccentricity (b) Column may fail due to tensile yielding of steel on the side farthest
from the load.

For design of column sections-

M n  M u (5a)
and
Pn  Pu (5b)

2.1 Strain Compatibility Analysis and Interaction Diagram

The strength interaction diagram of a column is that diagram which defines the failure load
and failure moment of that column for the full range of eccentricities from zero to infinity.

For any eccentricity, there is a unique pair of Pn and Mn that will produce the state of
incipient failure of the column.
2.2 ACI Code Provisions for Column Design
2.3 Biaxial Bending

Bresler’s reciprocal load equation is as follows:

1 1 1 1
   (8.19)
Pn Pnx 0 Pny 0 P0

where Pn = Approximate value of nominal load in biaxial bending with eccentricities ex and ey
Pnx0 = Nominal load for uniaxial bending around x-axis (ex = 0)
Pny0 = Nominal load for uniaxial bending around y-axis (ey = 0)
P0 = Nominal load for concentrically loaded column

Eq.(8.19) has been found to be acceptably accurate for design purposes provided Pn  0.10 P0 .
Example 8.5
The 12×20 in. column shown in Fig. 8.18 is reinforced with 8-#9 bars arranged around the
column perimeter. A factored load Pu of 255 kips is to be applied with eccentricities ey=3 in.
and ex=6 in. as shown. Material strengths are f’c=4 ksi anf fy=60 ksi. Check the adequacy of
the trial design using the reciprocal load method.
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