Department of Civil Engineering

PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641 004

BE Project work (Academic year 2012-2013)
Interaction Diagrams for RCC Columns with Channel Cross Sections
Name of Student(s):

Name of Guide(s):

N. Jothibass

(09C108)

Mr. C.G. Sivakumar

M. Ponmanikumaran

(09C117)

Ms. S. Sharmila

E. Rex Alfred

(09C219)

P. Sathish Kumar

(09C224)

S. Sasi Kumar

(10C402)

M.S. Mahendran

(10C423)
Abstract

Civilization updates itself as centuries pass by. Innovative ideas have formed in the minds of civil
engineers which changed the way things used to work around. To be on par with the ever- developing
world, every civil engineer has to get upgraded to the current scenario and take an innovative step in his
own zone of influence.
As an innovative approach, an effort has been made to study the unconventional channel section
for their advantages over conventional rectangular sections in terms of strength. Columns are one of the
most important members of a structure which is expected to transfer loads coming over the structure
safely to the foundation. If channel sections are used for columns with larger cross sections the extra cost
incurred in formwork erection may be overwhelmed by the cost saved in reduction of concrete in the C
portion. The strength characteristics of both cross sections have been compared using interaction curves
which give the strength envelopes formed by obtaining load and moment capacities for 6 salient points.
As a first step in attaining the objective, internal forces equations for channel shaped cross
sections have been derived by equilibrium (force and moment) approach. Interaction diagrams have been
prepared with the derived equations using MS Excel. The analytical results for strength from the
equations for the 6 salient points have been verified by carrying out experimental works for possible cases
considering the facilities available. The arbitrary channel section and rectangular section have been
compared in terms of strength envelopes provided by both cross sections with same area.
The strength envelopes of the two cross sections meet each other at some points. On the whole,
channel shaped cross sections gives a better failure envelope when overall curve is considered.