COLUMN DESIGN

The function of columns in a structure is to act as vertical supports to suspended members such as
beams and roofs and to transmit the loads from these members down to the foundations. Columns are
primarily compression members although they may also have to resist bending moments transmitted
by beams.
Columns may be classified as short or slender, braced or unbraced, depending on various
dimensional and structural factors. this classification is based on the two most important parameters
in the design of columns ie
 Bracing: if the column can sway additional moments are generated through the P −δ effect.
This does not affect braced columns
 Slenderness ratio: The effective length divided by the lateral dimension of the column. Low
values indicate a crushing failure, while high values denote buckling.
However, the design of short braced column which is the most common type of column found in
building structures will be discussed.
COLUMN SECTIONS
Some common column cross-sections are shown in Figure 1. In which case minimum bars for
circular section is 6 bars and rectangular and square section is 4 bars. Any section can be used,
however, provided that the greatest overall cross-sectional dimension does not exceed four times its
smaller dimension (i.e. h ≤ 4b, Figure 1 (c)). With sections where h > 4b the member should be
regarded as a wall for design purposes (clause 1.2.4.1, BS 8110).

Figure 1: Column cross-sections.

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 SHORT (STOCKY) AND (LONG) SLENDER COLUMNS BASED ON SLENDERNESS
RATIO
Columns may fail due to one of three mechanisms:
i) Compression failure of the concrete/steel reinforcement(Fig.2);
ii) Buckling (Fig. 3);
iii) Combination of buckling and compression failure.

Figure 2: compression failure Figure 3: Buckling failure

Bridge pillar shear failure

For any given cross-section, compression and shear failures occur in short and stocky columns, while
buckling failure is probable with columns which are long and slender. It is important, therefore, to be
able to distinguish between columns which are short and those which are slender since the failure
mode and hence the design procedures for the two column types are likely to be different.
Clause 3.8.1.3 of BS 8110 classifies a column as being short if

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 h is parallel to the moment and b is perpendicular to the moment produced in the column

The above applies for braced columns for unbraced columns lex/h < 10 and l ey/b < 10.
It should be noted that the above definition applies only to columns which are braced, rather than
unbraced.
BRACED AND UNBRACED COLUMNS (CLAUSE 3.8.1.5, BS 8110)

A column may be considered braced if the lateral loads, due to wind for example, are resisted by
shear walls or some other form of bracing rather than by the column. For example, all the columns in
the reinforced concrete frame shown in figure a) below are braced in the y direction. Figure b) are
braced in X and Y direction due to the central shear wall. A column may be considered to be
unbraced if the lateral loads are resisted by the sway action of the column. For example, all the
columns shown in Figure c) are unbraced in the x direction
Depending upon the layout of the structure, it is possible for the columns to be braced or unbraced in
both directions.

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EFFECTIVE HEIGHT HEIGHT
The effective height (le) of a column in a given plane is obtained by multiplying the clear height
between lateral restraints (lo) by a coefficient (β) which is a function of the fixity at the column ends
and is obtained as shown below

End condition 1 signifies that the column end is fully restrained. End condition 2 signifies that the
column end is partially restrained and end condition 3 signifies that the column end is nominally
restrained. In practice it is possible to infer the degree of restraint at the column ends simply by
reference to the diagrams shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 4: Column end restraint conditions.

Example 1
Determine if the column shown in Figure below is short or long

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REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
The rules governing minimum amount of reinforcement in loading bearing columns are as described
below
Longitudinal steel
a) The rectangular or square column will have a minimum of 4 bars, while a circular column
will have a minimum of 6 bars. The diameter of this bars should not be less than 12mm.
b) 100As/Acol>=0.4
c) 100As/Acol<=6 in a vertically cast column or
100As/Acol<=8 for a horizontally cast column
and at laps
100As/Acol<=10 for both types of columns
Where As is area of longitudinal steel and Acol is cross-sectional area of the column
Area of links/ stirrups
a) Minimum size =1/4 * the size of the largest compression bar but not less than 6mm
b) Maximum size spacing the lesser of
 12* size of the smallest compression bar or
 The smallest cross-section dimension of the column
c) The links should be arranged such that every corner bar and alternate bar or group in an outer
layer of longitudinal steel is supported by a link passing round the bar and having an included
angle not greater than 135°
d) All other groups not restrained by a link should be within 150mm of a restrained bar

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 e) In circular columns a circular link passing round a circular arrangement of longitudinal bars
is adequate

SHORT BRACED COLUMN DESIGN

For design purposes, BS 8110 divides short-braced columns into three categories. These are:
i) Columns resisting axial loads only;
ii) Columns supporting an approximately symmetrical arrangement of beams;
iii) Columns resisting axial loads and uniaxial or biaxial bending.

Figure 5: Floor plan.

Referring to the floor plan shown in Figure 5, it can be seen that column B2 supports beams which
are equal in length and symmetrically arranged.
Provided the floor is uniformly loaded, column B2 will resist an axial load only and is an example of
category 1.
Column C2 supports a symmetrical arrangement of beams but which are unequal in length. Column
C2 will, therefore, resist an axial load and a moment. However, provided that (a) the loadings on the
beams are uniformly distributed, and (b) the beam spans do not differ by more than 15 per cent of the
longer, the moment will be small. As such, column C2 belongs to category 2 and it can safely be
designed by considering the axial load only but using slightly reduced values of the design stresses in
the concrete and steel reinforcement.
The other columns belong to category 3 since conditions (a) and (b) are not satisfied. The moment
here becomes significant and the column may be required to resist an axial load and uni-axial
bending, e.g. columns A2, B1, B3, C1, C3 and D2, or an axial loads and biaxial bending, e.g. A1,
A3, D1 and D3.
The design procedures associated with each of these categories are discussed below.

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 Axially loaded columns (clause 3.8.4.3, BS 8110)
Consider a column having a net cross-sectional area of concrete Ac and a total area of longitudinal
reinforcement Asc (Figure 6).

Figure 6:

As discussed in earlier session, the design stresses for concrete and steel in compression are
0.67fcu/1.5 and fy/1.15 respectively, i.e.

Both the concrete and reinforcement assist in carrying the load. Thus, the ultimate load N which can
be supported by the column is the sum of the loads carried by the concrete (Fc) and the reinforcement
(Fs), i.e.

Equation (i)
Equation 1 assumes that the load is applied perfectly axially to the column. However, in practice,
perfect conditions never exist. To allow for a small eccentricity BS 8110 reduces the design stresses
in equation 1 by about 10 per cent, giving the following expression:
Equation (ii)

This is equation 38 in BS 8110 which can be used to design short-braced axially loaded columns.

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Columns supporting an approximately symmetrical arrangement of beams (clause 3.8.4.4, BS
8110)
Where the column is subject to an axial load and ‘small’ moment, the latter is taken into account
simply by decreasing the design stresses in equation (ii) by around 10 per cent, giving the following
expression for the load carrying capacity of the column
(iii)

Since Asc = 0.01A then

N = 0.4fcu(A – 0.01A) + 0.75fy x 0.01A
N = A (0.396fcu + 0.0075fy)
A = N/(0.396fcu + 0.0075fy) (iv)
This is equation 39 in BS 8110 and can be used to design columns supporting an approximately
symmetrical arrangement of beams provided (a) the loadings on the beams are uniformly distributed,
and (b) the beam spans do not differ by more than 15 per cent of the longer.
Equations (ii) and (iii) are not only used to determine the load-carrying capacities of short braced
columns predominantly supporting axial loads but can also be used for initial sizing of these
elements.
Example 2
A short-braced column in which fcu = 30 Nmm−2 and fy = 500 Nmm−2 is required to support an ultimate
axial load of 2000 kN. Determine a suitable section for the column assuming that the area of longitudinal
steel, Asc, is of the order of 3 per cent of the gross cross-sectional area of column, Acol.

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Example 3
Design a short circular column, which supports an axial load of 1700 kN at the ultimate limit
state. The characteristic material strengths are f y = 460 N/mm2 for the reinforcement and fcu = 30
N/mm2 for the concrete.

Links
 Link size is the greater of ¼ of the larger bar diameter and
6mm thus link size =6mm

 The centre to centre spacing of links is the lesser of

 Cross-section of the column =380mm
 12*diameter of the longitudinal bars =12*16=192mm
 48*diameter of link =48*6=288mm
Thus spacing of links will be 192mm

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Columns resisting axial load and bending
The stress block and calculations involving axial load and moments are as describe below. However
the equations are complex and therefore the design is simplified to only use charts as described in
subsequent sections.

The area of longitudinal steel for columns resisting axial loads and uniaxial or biaxial bending is
normally calculated using the design charts in Part 3 of BS 8110. These charts are available for
columns having a rectangular cross-section and a symmetrical arrangement of reinforcement. BSI
issued these
charts when the preferred grade of reinforcement was 460 not 500. Nevertheless, these charts could
still be used to estimate the area of steel reinforcement required in columns but the steel areas
obtained
will be approximately 10 per cent greater than required. Fig. 3.94 presents a modified version of
chart 27 which takes account of the new grade of steel reinforcement.
It is important to note that each chart is particular for a selected
1. characteristic strength of concrete, fcu;
2. characteristic strength of reinforcement, fy;

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3. d/h ratio.

Design charts are available for concrete grades 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 and reinforcement grade
460. For a specified concrete and steel strength there is a series of charts for different d/h ratios in
the range 0.75 to 0.95 in 0.05 increments.
The construction of these charts can best be illustrated by considering how the axial load and
moment capacity of an existing column section is assessed. The solution to this problem is somewhat
simpler than normal column design as many of the design parameters, e.g. grades of materials and
area and location of the reinforcement are predefined. Nonetheless, both rely on an iterative method
for solution. Determining the load capacity of an existing section involves investigating the
relationship between the depth of neutral axis of the section and its axial load and co-existent
moment capacity. For a range of neutral axis depths the tensile and compressive forces acting on the
section are calculated. The size of these forces can be evaluated using the assumptions outlined in
connection with the analysis of beam sections namely:
a) Sections that are plane before loading remain plane after loading.
b) The tensile and compressive stresses in the steel reinforcement are derived from column
restraint conditions

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 c) The compressive stresses in concrete are based on either the rectangular-parabolic stress
block for concrete ie the design stress-strain curve for concrete or the equivalent rectangular
stress block ie stress strain distribution on a cross-section

d) The tensile strength of concrete is zero.

Once the magnitude and position of the tensile and compressive forces have been determined, the
axial load and moment capacity of the section can be evaluated. Example below illustrates how the
results can be used to assess the suitability of the section to resist a particular axial load and moment.
Example 4
Determine whether the column section shown in the
figure below is capable of supporting an axial load of
200kN and moment about the X-X axis of 200kNm by
calculating the load and moment capacity of the section

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when the depth of the natural axis of the section x = ∞, 200mm and 350 mm. Assume fcu
=35N/mm2 and fy = 500 N/mm2

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 (i) Uniaxial bending.
With columns which are subject to an axial load (N) and uni-axial moment (M), the procedure
simply involves plotting the N/bh and M/bh2 ratios on the appropriate chart and reading off the
corresponding area of reinforcement as a percentage of the gross-sectional area of concrete
(100Asc/bh) (Example below). Where the actual d/h ratio for the section being designed lies between
two charts, both charts may be read and the longitudinal steel area found by linear interpolation.
(ii) Biaxial bending (clause 3.8.4.5, BS 8110).
Where the column is subject to biaxial bending, the problem is reduced to one of uniaxial bending
simply by increasing the moment about one of the axes using the procedure outlined below.
Referring to Fig. 3.100, if Mx/My ≥ h′/b′ the enhanced design moment, about the x–x axis, Mx′, is

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The area of longitudinal steel can then be determined using the ultimate axial load (N) and enhanced
moment (Mx′ or My′,) in the same way as that described for uniaxial bending.

EXAMPLE 5: AXIALLY LOADED COLUMN (BS 8110)

Design the longitudinal steel and links for a 350 mm square, short-braced column which supports
the following axial loads:
Gk = 1000 kN Qk = 1000 kN
Assume fcu = 40 Nmm−2 and fy & fyv = 500 Nmm−2.

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Example 6: Column supporting an approximately symmetrical arrangement of

beams (BS 8110)

An internal column in a braced two-storey building supporting an approximately symmetrical
arrangement of beams (350 mm wide × 600 mm deep) results in characteristic dead and imposed
loads each of 1100 kN being applied to the column. The column is 350 mm square and has a clear
height of 4.5 m as shown in Fig.below. Design the longitudinal reinforcement and links assuming
fcu = 40 Nmm−2 and fy & fyv = 500 Nmm−2

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Example 7: Columns resisting an axial load and bending (BS 8110)
Design the longitudinal and shear reinforcement for a 275 mm square, short-braced column
which supports
a) an ultimate axial load of 1280 kN and a moment of 62.5 kNm about the x–x axis
b) an ultimate axial load of 1280 kN and bending moments of 35 kNm about the x–x axis and
25 kNm about the y–y axis.
Assume fcu = 30 Nmm−2, fy = 500 Nmm−2 and cover to all reinforcement is 35 mm.
nnn

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Example 8

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An internal column in a multi-storey building supporting an approximately symmetrical
arrangement of beams carries an ultimate load of 2,000 kN. The storey height is 5.2 m and the
effective height factor is 0.85, fcu = 35 N/mm2 and fy = 500 N/mm2.
Assuming that the column is square, short and braced, calculate: a) a suitable cross-section for
the column; b) the area of the longitudinal reinforcement; c) the size and spacing of the links. d)
Sketch the reinforcement detail in cross-section.

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