Design of Circular and Rectangular Hollow
Section Columns
Dr K. S. Virdi*
*DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, CITY UNIVERSITY, LONDON
SYNOPSIS
An analytical method for computfng the ultimate
faihtre loads of inelastic columns subjected to axial
thrust and uniaxial bending moments is presented. As
part of the computational procedure, a rapid method of
calculating the moment thrust cuta,ature relations is
described. The procedure uses the )veil known Gauss
quadrature formulae. With the aid of a mapping device,
any quadrilateral part of the cross-section can be con-
sidered inchtding att)' arbitrary residual stress pattern,
This enables the analysis of a wide variety of cross-
sections, hwluding circular and rectangular hollow sec-
tions. The ultimate fidlure loads are obtained by finding
the highest loud for which an equilibrium deflected
shape carl be calculated. A generalised Newton-
Raphson method has been adopted for the calculation
of the tk'flected shape o f the column. The computer
program developed has been used to examine the
valMity of the newly proposed design curves in ECCS
Recommendations as well as the draft BS 5400 : Part
3 applicable to circular and rectangular hollow sec-
tions. It is concluded that the ECCS recommendations
are safe, but the proposals in B S 5400 : Part 3 are
fouttd to be unduly conservative.
NO TA T/ON
A area of cross-section
e eccentricity of thrust with respect to
plastic centroid
E elastic modulus
f stress
£, elastic critical buckling stress
£ maximum compressive residual stress in
the cross-section
f, yield stress
Gauss quadrature weighting coefficients
h segment height
I identity matrix
J,K Jacobean matrices
L column length
m number of Gauss points along any direc-
tion
Af applied moment
Ma, At. applied moments at ends A and B,
respectively
N applied thrust
N, elastic critical buckling load
Nv column squash load ( = A ~ )
non-dimensionalised value of the thrust
( = N/N>,)
R residual stress
r radius of gyration
s station along the column length
u column deflection
u, deflection at station s
u,, net increase in deflection due to applied
thrust
t~) initial deflection
x,.)' cross-section cartesian coordinates
z length coordinate
¢ curvature
¢, curvature at station s
,~ slenderncss factor ( = (L/r)/2t.)
21: rc~/(E/~.)
tl imperfection parameter
~,rl natural coordinates
INTRODUCTION
The European Convention for Constructional
Steelwork (ECCS) issued, in 1975, a comprehensive set
of Recommendations ~ for the design of steel
structures. [n particular, the Recommendations
adopted the concept of multiple column curves,
originally proposed by Beer and Schulz f:), based on a
large number of tests on a variety of cross-sections. The
work of Beer and Schulz confirmed the importance of
initial imperfections, such as initial lack of straightness
and residual stresses, on the ultimate strength of com-
pression members. In the UK, the revisions to the two
codes relating to the design of steel structures, namely
BS 449 ~-~for steel buildings (to be renamed BS 5950 ~4))
and BS 153~5) for steel bridges (to be renamed
BS 5400 : Part 3(")), have also led to the adoption of
multiple column curves. [n the main, the British mul-
tiple column curves are based on close fits of the
European column curves in terms of equivalent
modified Perry formulae. This paper examines the
 36 Journal of Constructional Steel Research." Vol. I. No. 4." September 1981
validity of the proposed British and European recom-
mendations in the light of results based on an 'exact'
analytical model of column behaviour. The analytical
approach, detailed later, is 'exact" to the extent that
actual material characteristics, including plasticity, can
be considered along with actual initial deflected shapes,
actual end conditions, and any known residual stresses.
The procedure defines the ultimate load of a column as
the highest load for which an equilibrium deflected
shape can be obtained, that is, the load at which the
column stiffness is reduced to zero.
The analytical method is validated by comparing
with available experimental results on circular and
rectangular hollow sections. Finally, the analytical
model is used to generate parametric data to compare
results with the proposed European and British curves
applicable to the sections under investigation.
IDEALLY STRAIGHT COLUMN
The elastic critical buckling load of an ideally straight
column is often written as:
N~ 7rZE
for -- i --
•"1 (L/r):"
In recent literature, this has often
dimcnsionalised as
=
- (2)
(L/r)
where 2 = - -
,']-v
J, is often called the slenderness factor, to distinguish
it from the slenderness ratio. Graphically, equation 2 is
represented by the curve ABC shown in Figure 1, [t is
plain that the part of the curve above N = 1 is merely
of academic importance, since real columns would not
support a stress in excess o f f , if the effect of strain
hardening is ignored. Thus the buckling curve of an
ideally straight column made or an elastic perfectly
plastic material would be represented by the
characteristic ABD in Figure I.
DEVIATION FROM IDEAL BEHAVIOUR
For nearly a century now, it has been accepted that the
behaviour of a practical column deviates from that of a
similar ideal column, particularly in the range
corresponding approximately to 0.3 < 2 < 1.5. The
foremost cause was found to be the lack of straightness
of the column in its unloaded state. This led Perry to
propose his famous formula '7), as early as 1886, based
on the criterion of first yield of a column with an
initially curved shape in the form of a half sine wave.
This formula, with many empirical values substituted
for the magnitude of the initial bow, has survived in the
codes of practice relating to steel design in Britain and
many other countries for more than fifty years.
In the USA, the presence of residual stresses within
''
- - +
B
,,
F
~ ' "
' 6
,,
J
Fik'ure I Buckling, curve,s'j'~)r ideal attd practical columns
the cross-section, rather than the initial bow, has gover-
!ned the design practice. Some measure of the level of
residual stresses within the section can be obtained by
conducting a stub column test("L The resulting non-
linear stress-strain curve can be used to obtain the
inelastic critical buckling load of a straight column
using the tangent modulus formula proposed by
Engesseg"L
(I)
Column buckling curves based on Perry's or
Engesscr's formulae typically have a shape as shown
been non-
by curve EF in Figure I. It is worth noting that both
approaches successfully represent the loss of strength in
the sensitive range of slenderness mentioned above.
EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE
E
Numerous carefully controlled tests have shown that
practical columns of different cross-sectional shapes
show different levels of deviation from the ideal
behaviour. This deviation is only in part clue to tile
actual shape of the section, An important factor is the
pattern of distribution of residual stresses within the
section. The scatter in experimental results obtained by
several investigators is further explained by the fact that
nominally identical specimens can have differing levels
of residual stresses due to different manufacturing
histories. Yet another source or scatter in experimental
results is the observed fact that the measured yield
stress can be quite different in magnitude at different
points within a cross-section. All these factors suggest
the use of multiple column curves, rather than a single
one, for design.
PRESENT INTERNATIONAL
RECOMMENDATIONS
Under the auspices of the European Convention for
Constructional Steelwork (ECCS), Beer and S c h u l z ':~
examined the problem both theoretically and experi-
mentally and, as a result, the E C C S Recom-
mendations qt~ contain three basic column buckling
curves, termed European curves a, b, and c, together
with a curve selection table for various types or
columns. Under these R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s , rolled
structural hollow sections, the subject of the present
paper, should be designed using curve "a'. For welded
 Design of Circular and Rectangular Hollow Section Columns 37

structural hollow sections of thicknesses less than

20 mm, a slight reduction in yield stress is suggested,
but curve 'a" is still the recommended design curve. For
welded box-sections, curve 'b' is recommended, recog-
nising the fact that such sections have much higher
levels of residual stresses, often as high as the tensile
/
yield stress in the welded corners. J
Similar multiple column curves have been suggested
in the USA by the Structural Stability Research
Council *~0~. It appears that the code drafting body in 5TR&IN

that country, namely the American Institute of Steel
Construction (AISC). has deliberately decided against
the use of multiple column curves, in order to retain the
simplicity offered by a single column curve.
In the UK, the code drafting committees of the
British Standards Institution, dealing with the design of
steel structures, have adopted the European column
curves in slightly modified forms. The modification
results from attempting to fit a Perry-type formula to
each of the three curves q"~. Thus the failure stress as
adopted in BS 5400 : Part 3 is given by
f= ~ (fy + (I + /'/)f~r --
¢ I E + l + ,/)f.l'- - 4f,.f,.,}) (3)
#
Figure 2 ,4 curvilinear stress-strain curve approximated with
linear segments
M E T H O D OF A N A L Y S I S
Several analytical methods are available for the elastic-
plastic analysis of beam-columns in uniaxial bending.
Many of the methods have been described in detail in
reference 12. However, none of the methods given in
that text allow complete generality in the choice of the
material stress-strain curve, or in selecting the shape of
the cross-section. It is believed that the following
method offers a rapid analytical tool for calculating the
ultimate load of a column of arbitrary cross-section,
having arbitrary residual stress pattern, and arbitrary
material characteristics which may be different from
zone to zone within a cross-section.

MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Any material characteristic can be specified. In the
implemented computer program, this is represented in
and a is assigned the following values: the form of a multi-linear curve as shown in Figure 2,
although in principle, any suitable stress-strain
Curve A a = 0.0020 characteristic can be programmed easily.
Curve B a = 0.0035
Curve C a = 0.0050. CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE
Curves A, B, and C are the Perry-fit curves Itis assumed that the cross-section can be built up from
corresponding to the European curves, a, b, and c. a number of quadrilaterals, as illustrated in Figure 3.
The present draft of BS 5 4 0 0 : P a r t 3 (February No further subdivision of the quadrilaterals is required
1981) suggests that the appropriate curve can be
chosen on the basis of the value of r/y,, where y, is the
distance of the centroid from the extreme fibre in com-
pression. Thus,
r
0 <-- < 0.45 CurveC
)'c

r
0.50 < - - < 0.60 CurveB
Y¢
/ •
r
0.70 < - - Curve A
)'c
On this basis most, but not all, structural hollow sec-
tions manufactured by the British Steel Corporation
would be designed using curve A. The remaining,
mostly circular hollow sections, for which the r/y¢
values fall between 0.60 and 0.70, would require
interpolation between curves B and A.
In what follows, the validity of these proposals is
examined in the light of results obtained from a Figure 3 A n arbitrarily shaped eross-sectian idealised b.v a series
rigorous theoretical analysis. o f quadrilaterals
38 Journal of Constructional Steel Research: Vol. 1, No. 4: September 1981

during the analysis. Thus, only four rectangles are

required to idealise a rectangular hollow section. A
circular hollow section with an axisymmetric pattern of ~_ = / J
residual stresses could be idealised as shown in Figure 4.
This kind of idealisation is particularly suitable for
[DEALISED STRAIN S'I'RE~N
built-up tubulars, such as those used in off-shore CROSS-S]ECT |ON D [~3TRII~UT10~ D [.S'TR I BU'T I ON

structures, where complex residual stress patterns are Figure 5 Strain and stress distributions at a cross-section with
found. inelastic material properties

THEORY For equilibrium .iAfdA = N (4)

The method is based on calculating the equilibrium
deflected shape of the column, in the form of deflections o

j f y dA = M. (5)
at a discrete number of points, for increasing values of
the applied loading. With increasing amount of inelastic
stresses developing within the column, the stiffness of It is clear that M and N are direct functions of ¢ and d,.
the column progressively reduces until, just before By varying d,, one can easily adjust N, so that it equals
collapse, it completely vanishes. The load correspond- the thrust applied at the column ends. Thus by altering
ing to the final deflected shape so obtained is taken as the position of the neutral axis at points along the
the ultimate load. length, it is possible to ensure that force equilibrium
The calculation of the deflected shape of the column throughout the column is maintained. This on its own
in equilibrium with some applied loading requires two does not ensure that moment equilibrium along the
basic algorithms. The first relates to the calculation of length has also been achieved. Only when the correct
the stress resultants within the section for an assumed equilibrium shape has been achieved will the curvatures
strain distribution over the cross-section. This phase is # be such that moment equilibrium throughout the
often referred to as the calculation of the moment- column length is also satisfied. This is discussed in
thrust-curvature relationship. The second algorithm detail later.
deals with improving the values of the assumed deflec- The immediate problem being posed is that of the
tions, which directly relate to the section strain distribu- evaluation of the integrals in equations 4 and 5 when
tions, so that internal stress resultants approach the cross-section is of arbitrary shape and, in addition,
equilibrium with the external forces and moments at the material stress-strain characteristic is also arbitrary.
convergence. For this phase, a variety of iteration Providing that the cross-section can be replaced by a
methods can be adopted. In this paper a rapidly con- series of quadrilaterals, each with its own residual stress
verging Newton-Raphson procedure has been pattern, use can be made of two-dimensional Gauss
described. quadrature together with some mapping using the so-
called natural coordinates, to obtain the desired
integrals.
MOMENT-THRUST-CURVATURE
RELATIONS GAUSS Q U A D R A T U R E
These relations are best understood by referring to Gauss quadrature formulae enable the evaluation of a
Figure 5. If it is assumed that plane sections before definite integral between the limits - 1 and + 1 by a
bending remain plane after bending, the strain distribu- process of weighted summation of the values of the
tion in the section is uniquely determined for any posi- integrand at prespecified points. Thus:
tion of neutral axis, d~. By referring to the material PN
stress-strain characteristic, one can easily deduce the f(O = 5" H,
stress-distribution in the section. i=1

where H i are the weighting coefficients and ~ are the

RI';~ l D U A L 5TRESS [,ATTErlN
specified points. The higher the value of m, the more
( UOMI,RI~;SS I O N IN OUTER FlllflE ) . .
accurate is the integral obtained. For a polynomial of
degree (2r - 1), selection of m = r points leads to an
T #
i- - - . , , exact integral, and no benefit accrues by adopting a
higher value of m. Tabulated values of/-/i and ~ are
available for values of m ranging from 2 to 10 (13).
: [ I~ " ;~ tl ]l
A double integral over the square area implied by the
\ /
limits - 1 and + 1 in the two directions can be written
as follows:
i i m m

Figure 4 Idealisation o f a circular hollow section, showing a I_ / " f(,, r/) d,~dr/ = Z "=
Z H.,Hif('~i,r/.," (6,
typical circular segment replaced by an equivalent trapezium . I I i=IJ 1
 Design of Circular and Rectangular Hollow Section Columns 39

The problem of evaluating an integral over an function at any specified coordinates (~,r/). For
arbitrary quadrilateral can be successfully solved by example, if the residual strains at the four vertices p, q,
mapping the quadrilateral area to the required square r and s are Rp, Rq, R, and R,, respectively, then the
area by the following transformations: strain R at any other point can be found by the equa-
tion:
x = ÷[(l-¢')(|-~)x, + (| + 0 ( | - ~ ) x q
t ( l - O ( l - - / 7 ) R p + (l + O(|--r/).Rq
+ (l-0(l+t/)xr + (l+0(l+r/)x,[ (7)
•4'-( | - - ~ ' ) ( | "4- ?])R r + (l +~(l 4-~)).R,] (1o)
y = ¼[(1-0(I- r/)y, + (1 + 0 ( 1 - r/)yq
t C O M P U T A T I O N P R O C E D U R E FOR
+ (l-O(l+r/)y, + (l+0(l+r/)Y,I (8) M O M E N T - T H R U ST-CU RVATU R E
RELATIONS
The integrals appearing in equations 4 and 5 can be
Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which the transfor-
evaluated separately for each of the quadilateral areas
mation is affected. It is clear that over the quadrilateral
used for idealising the original cross-section. For each
area pqsr the natural coordinates have the limits - 1
quadrilateral, once the number of Gauss points m is
and 1. The elemental area dx dy can be transformed to
fixed, the coordinates of the Gauss points, and hence
the area d~dr/ by the relation
i the product IJIH,Hj as well as the interpolated residual
ely dy = IJI d~ dq strain at each Gauss point, are also fixed and remain
where IJI is the determinant of the Jacobian matrix the same throughout the analysis. This can offer con-
J given by siderable savings in computer time.
For any chosen location of the neutral axis, the
integration procedure, then, consists of five basic steps
:_- [_,,_.,
--(1 0 - - ( 1 + 0 (1--0(1+ ix-.y./1 for each Gauss point:

IX,>,,/ Step 1: Calculate the distance d from the neutral axis

knowing the coordinates of the Gauss point
LX,Y,j (9)
and the distance d, of the neutral axis from,
It is worth noting at this stage that the expression
say, the centroid of the whole section.
involving ~ and t/in equations 7 and 8 is in effect an
Step 2: Calculate the imposed strain e = ~d.
interpolation function. Thus, if values of any function
Step3: Calculate the net strain by adding the
were known at the four vertices of the quadrilateral,
imposed strain to the interpolated residual
these equations could be used to obtain the value of this
strain at the point.
Y Step 4: Calculate the stress f at the Gauss point by
using the appropriate material stress-strain
characteristic.
s Step 5: Obtain the products./]J[ H,~ and fy [Jl H~ttj
and hence obtain the integrals in equations 4
and 5.

E Q U I L I B R I U M DEFLECTED S H A P E
Figure 7 shows the deflected shape of the beam-column
under end moments and an end thrust. Also shown is a
statically equivalent system where the end moments
have been replaced by the effective eccentricities of the
applied thrust. At any stage of loading, the initial
deflected shape represented by u0 at a distance z from
the node A, undergoes changes to enable equilibrium to
4;=-1 be maintained. If u, is the net increase in the column
deflection, the total moment a: point ,: becomes
M = N(e + uo + u.) (11)
= N(e + u)

M
or, u - N e. (12)
Figure 6 A general quadrilateral and its natural coo;'dinate system
40 Journal o f Constructional Steel Research: ~'bl. 1. ~b. 4: September 1981

A0,
- - = 0 for r < s - - I and r > s+ 1
Au~

EQU/LIBRIL'II DEFLgCTED SH~tPE and

a¢ - 2±¢ ±~,
- " ~ ' ~ ~ C T I V E LINE OF "~C--r'ION
- OF TIIRUST . . . . (19)
Aus - t ~u~ Aus, I
~4 , N t

~t Thus, by calculating the integrals for O~ and (0, + AO~)

at a given station s, one can easily deduce the numerical
values of

8u, eu, ew,

Figure 7 Column under end moments and a statically equivalent
and
system
In other words, within each cycle of trial deflections,
The moment M, and the thrust N, are in equilibrium the integrals involved in equations 4 and 5 have to be
with the internal stresses induced by the net increase in evaluated only twice at each station.
curvature:

dZu
d2u,
# = ------U
dz = dz"
It follows that the moment M is a non-linear function
of u, assuming N to be a constant at any stage of
loading. A direct solution for the deflected shape is
virtually impossible, keeping in mind the arbitrary
stress-strain characteristics assumed in this analysis. A
numerical method of solution, therefore, has been
adopted.
The procedure is based on sub-dividing the column
into n equal segments each of length h. The equilibrium
is then satisfied at the ( n - l) internal nodes, labelled,
I, 2 . . . . . ( n - I). At any station s, the curvature can be
calculated using the finite difference approximation:
0~ = - - ( u ~ _ t - - 2u, + u~.. O/h z.
In view of equation 12, one can write
u~ - U(u~ -i, u,, u~.t)
or even more generally, as
{u} = {U(u I, u 2. . . . . u,, i)l.
The generalised Newton-Raphson method for a system
of non-linear equations suggests that, if {U~} represents
an approximate solution to equation 16, a better
approximation {u~ ,i} can be obtained by the following
equation:
{u~ ' ' } = I u~} -- (I -- K) ' { u ~ - U ~}
where I is an identity matrix and K is a Jacobian matrix
defined by
? Ui AU,
K ~ = I ?uj
= At----~j"
The incremental definition is of more relevance
where, as in the present case, the derivatives have to be
calculated numerically. The elements of the Jacobian K
can be evaluated efficiently by first maintaining Au, the
same at all stations. From equation 14, one observes
that:
d2tt0 CONVERGENCE
dz 2 (13) Having obtained an improved approximation to the
true solution by using equation 17, the process is
repeated by replacing {u k} by {u k' =} until satisfactory
convergence is obtained.
At this stage a question can be raised as to whether
the Jacobian K should bc evaluated for each cycle, or
whether the modified Ncwton-Raphson method can be
adopted by using previously calculated Jacobian
matrices. In the author's experience, the modified
Newton-Raphson m e t h o d s o m e t i m e s leads to
divergence, and normally offers negligible savings in
computing effort. Hence tile recommendation is to
evaluatc the Jacobian at each cycle of iteration. For
most cases, providing use is made of deflected shapes
(14) calculated for previous levels of loading in predicting a
suitable trial deflected shape, convergence would be
obtained within 2:~-4 cycles of iteration. If convergence
(15)
is not obtained in, say, 8 cycles, it is advisable to reduce
the loading increment by a multiplying factor of about
0. I, and then repeat the process.
(16)
STABILITY ANALYSIS
If v is defined as a load factor on the initial loading {t0},
the structure is analysed for varying end loads {/'].}
given by
IF,} = I(v- ~)G + II I/%} (20)
(17) where I is an identity matrix, and G is a diagonal
matrix, tile elements of which are 1 or 0 depending
upon whether the corresponding load component
changes with v or not. The highest value of v for which
an equilibrium shape can be obtained would be the load
(18)
factor corresponding to the limit state of collapse.
V A L I D A T I O N OF THE P R O P O S E D M E T H O D
Results o b t a i n e d f r o m a c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m
T U B Q O L S , based on the method described above, are
now compared with experimental results from two
series of tests.
 Design of Circular and Rectangular Hollow Section Columns 41
T E S T S ON C I R C U L A R H O L L O W S E C T I O N S
In the first series, reported by Wagner, Mueller, and
Erzurumlu ~ta~, four circular hollow section columns
with different end conditions were tested to collapse.
For details of the test specimens, the reader is referred
to the original paper. In the present analysis, the cross-
section is idealised as shown in Figure 4. The
circumference is divided into a number of segments
(40), each subtending the same angle at the centre.
Each circular arc is replaced by a straight line, reducing
the whole section to a series of trapezia. The diameters
of the circles, on which the vertices of the trapezia lie,
are adjusted so that the height of each trapezium equals
the tube thickness and the total area of the idealised
section equals the area of the tube. In the present
analysis, four Gauss points, two for each of the natural
coordinates, are used for each trapezium. The column
length is subdivided into eight equal parts. In the
absence of the actual stress-strain characteristics, the
material is assumed to have an ideal elastic-plastic
behaviour. All columns were assumed to have an initial
lack of straightness of 0.001 times the column length.
The values of the residual stresses are difficult to
ascertain. In a study similar to the present one,
Schulz ItS~ assumed an extreme fibre residual stress of
0.2 times the yield stress. The results given in Table 1
have been obtained for three values of extreme fibre
residual stress, namely, zero, 0. l f y, and 0 . 2 f , in order
to assess the influence of the level of residual stress on
the ultimate failure load.
It is clear that an axisymmetric pattern of residual
stress has only a nominal effect on the calculated
ultimate strength. This aspect is further investigated in
the parametric study described later. At present it is
sufficient to note that when residual stresses of the
order of 0.2 times the yield stress together with an
initial lack of straightness of magnitude 0.00 ! times the
column length are considered, the analysis shows
excellent agreement with experimental results on
circular hollow sections. The agreement could have
been improved if the actual stress-strain characteristics
had been available.
T E S T S ON S Q U A R E H O L L O W S E C T I O N S
There appears to be a paucity of test results on slender
columns of rectangular hollow sections. For the present
Table 1 Comparison of analytical results with experimental results,(14) based on three levels of residual stresses in
circular hollow section columns
Theoretical failure loads (kN)
Column
label fr = 0 fr = 0.1fy
(I) (2) (3)
IT2 85.07 84.60
IT3 224.44 223.67
2T3 273.20 272. [9
3T3 334.83 333.59
aim of comparing the results from the analysis
described above, a short series of three tests reported
by Dwyer and Galambos ~t6~ has been selected. The
three cross-sections were indirectly tested for residual
stresses through stub column tests. It was found that
the stub column stress-strain curve showed ideal
elastic-plastic behaviour showing that the levels of
residual stresses were not significant. An important
feature of the tests was that the load path consisted of
an initial application of the end thrust, followed by
increments in the moment applied at one end. It was
not explained whether any attempt was made to com-
pensate for the axial force imposed for applying the end
moment, For details of test specimens, the reader is
referred to the original publication. ~"~
In the present analysis, an elastic perfectly plastic
stress-strain characteristic has been adopted, with the
elastic modulus being taken as 192000 MPa. Again, an
initial lack of straightness of 0.001 times the column
length was adopted. For each of the four rectangles
used to idealise the box shape, 4 x 4 Gauss integration
points were chosen. The column length was divided into
17 segments in view of the lack of symmetry.
Table 2 gives tile results from the computer program
TUBQOLS, as well as experimental results. For the
first column, the agreement is excellent. For the other
two columns, however, the analytical results are non-
conservative in one case (by 20.7 per cent) and con-
servative in the other (by 22.5 per cent). In part, these
deviations may be due to non-adjustment of the applied
thrust for the value of the (eccentric) force used to
apply the end moment during the test. Overall, the
agreement may be described as satisfactory. It is,
therefore, reasonable to use the theoretical method out-
lined above for establishing the suitability or otherwise
of any proposed design recommendations.
P A R A M E T R I C S T U D Y ON C I R C U L A R
HOLLOW SECTIONS
The value of r/y~ for the range of cross-sections
manufactured by the British Steel Corporation varies
from 0.610 upwards. Almost all of the full range of 81
sections have r/y, less than 0.70, the cut-off point below
which the designer is asked to interpolate between
curves 'A' and 'B' in the proposed code for the design
of steel bridges, BS 5400 : Part 3.~ The European
Experimental
failure load Ratio
fr = 0.2fy (kN) (4)/(5)
(4) (5) (6)
83.93 77.9 1.077
222.58 196.7 I. 132
270.52 263.0 1.029
331.68 329.3 1.007
Mean 1.061
 42 Journal of Constructional Steel Research: l~bl. 1, No. 4: September 1981

Table 2 Comparison of analytical results with experimental results(16) for rectangular hollow section columns
Failure end moments (kN m)
Section N/,Vy Ratio
Analytical Experimental (3)~ (4)

(I (2) (3) (4) (5)

76.2 × 76.2 x 6.35 0.13 12.27 12.48 0.983

101.6 × 101.6 x 6.35 0.40 17.04 14.12 1.207
152.4 ~ 152.4 x 6.35 0.80 12.78 16.48 0.775

Mean 0.988

Recommendations, ~ however, specify that all circular
sections can be designed using curve 'A'. A parametric
study was, therefore, undertaken to examine the situa-
tion.
Four sections were chosen having a range of r/.v,
values from 0.610 to 0.682. All the sections were
analysed for varying effective lengths so as to cover the
full range of slenderness factor 2 from 0 to 2.5. In all
cases an elastic-plastic stress-strain curve, with a yield
stress of 355 MPa and elastic modulus of 200000 MPa,
was adopted. No residual stresses were considered but
it was assumed that the columns had an initial out of
straightness of L/1000. The results are given in Table 3
and are also shown in Figure 8. It will bc seen that all
results lic well above the European curve "a'. To
investigate the effect of residual stresses, an axisym-
metric residual stress pattern w i t h f = 0 . 2 f (Figure 4)
was adopted Ibr the 48.3 x 5.0 section (r/y¢ = 0.638)
and the 457 x 40.0 section (r/y, = 0.648). The results
arc given in Table 4 and arc also shown in Figure 9. It
will be seen that a residual stress of 0.2 f tends to
reduce the ultimate capacity for all cases by a small
amount. The failure loads obtained are, however, still
above BS 5400 : Part 3, curve 'A', although just so, and
well above the European curve 'a'. It therefore follows
that it would be quite appropriate to design all circular
sections using the BS 5400 : Part 3, design curve 'A', or
by the European curve "a'.
P A R A M E T R I C S T U D Y ON RECTANGULAR
H O L L O W SECTIONS
The value or r/.G for the rectangular sections
manufactured by the British Steel Corporation varies
from 0.671 in major axis bending to 0.890 ira minor axis
bcnding. Only five sections have values of r/v~ Icss than
0.70, and hence would be affected by this cut o f f point
for BS 5 4 0 0 : P a r t 3, curve 'A'. All these sections
togcthcr with a section with r/)L. value of 0.738, have
been analysed assuming an initial lack of straightness
of 0.001 times thc length and no residual stress, for a
range of column lengths, again covering the full range
of slenderness factor from 0 to 2.5. Material propertics

Table 3 Analytical results for circular hollow section columns compared with ECCS curve "a' and BS 5400 : Part
3, curve 'A'
Column Ultimate failure loads (N/Ny)
Sectkm length
(ram) ECCS curve 'a' BS curve "A' Analytical

400 0.825 0.783 0.795 0.844

21.3 , 3.2 700 1.444 0.406 0.410 0.422
(r/y,. = 0.610) 1000 2.063 0.214 0.215 0.2 [8
1300 2.682 ? 0.130 0.131

I000 0.870 0.758 0.765 0.825

48.3 × 5.0 1500 1.306 0.476 0.485 0.514
( r / y c ~- 0.638) 2000 1.741 0.293 0.295 0.30'~
2500 2.177 0.195 0.195 0.202
3000 2.612 ? 0.135 0.142

2000 0.885 0.748 0.750 0.817

88.9 ,, 3.2 3000 1.327 0.465 0.470 0.501
(r/.t" c = 0.682) 4000 1.770 0.289 0.290 0.3(X)
5000 2.212 0.189 0.190 0.197
6000 2.655 ? 0.132 0.138

8000 0.724 0.833 0.845 0.S'}3

I0000 0.906 0.736 0.755 0.~04
457 ;,; 40.0 12000 1.087 0.615 0.630 0.672
(r/'y c =0,648) 14000 1.268 0.498 0.510 0,539
16000 1.449 0.403 0.405 0.430
18000 1.630 0.330 0.330 (/.348
20000 1.812 0.274 0.275 0.2s7

" - outside the range of values given in Iv'IS5400 : Part 5

 Design of Circular and Rectangular Hollow Section Columns 43

Table 4 Analytical results showing the effect of residual stresses on the ultimate failure loads of circular hollow
section columns

Ultimate failure loads (N/N.,)

Column
Section length ~. ECCS curve "a" BS curve "A" Analytical Analytical
(ram) without with
res. stress res. stress

48.3 X 5.0 IOOO 0.870 0.758 0.765 0.825 0.776

1500 1.306 0.476 0.485 0.514 0.486
2000 1.741 0.293 0.295 0.309 0.296
2500 2.177 O. 195 O. 195 0.202 O. 195
3000 2.612 ? 0.135 0.142 0.137

457 x 40.0 8000 0.724 0.833 0.845 0.893 0.853

I0000 0.906 0.736 0.755 0.804 0.757
12000 1.087 0.615 0.630 0.672 0.633
14000 1.268 0.498 0.5 I0 0.539 0.512
16000 1.449 0.403 0.405 0.430 0.41 I
18000 1.630 0.330 0.330 0.348 0.334
20000 1.812 0.274 0.275 0.287 0.275

? = outside the range of values given in BS 5400 : Part 5

Table 5 Analytical results for rectangular hollow section columns compared with ECCS c u r v e ' a ' a n d BS 5 4 0 0 :
P a r t 3, c u r v e ',4.'

Column Ultimate failure loads (N/Ny)

Section length
(mm) FCCS curve "a" BS curve 'A" Analytical

1000 0.390 0.956 0.960 0.968

2000 0.780 0.807 0.820 0.870
I00 x 50 × 6.3 3000 1.170 0.559 0.565 0.606
(r/v(: -- 0.688) 4000 1.559 0.356 0.357 0.376
5000 1.949 0.239 0.240 0.248
6000 2.339 O. 168 O. 169 O. 175

IOOO 0.321 0.973 0.975 0.976

2000 0.642 0.868 0.886 0.921
120 x 60 >< 6.3 3000 0.962 0.700 0.710 0.764
(r/y c = 0.697) 4000 1.283 0.489 0.500 0.525
5000 1.604 0.339 0.341 0.357
6000 1.925 0.244 0.245 0.254

2000 0.488 0.927 0.935 0.954

4000 0.915 0.691 0.700 0.756
160 × 80 x 10 6000 1.463 0.396 0.400 0.422
(r/y~ = 0.688) 8000 1.951 0.238 0.240 0.249
IOOO0 2.438 O. 156 0.158 0.162
12000 2.926 ? 0.1 I0 0.114

2000 0.400 0.954 0.957 0.967

4000 0.799 0.796 0.810 0.863
200 × 100 x 16 6000 1.199 0.542 0.550 0.589
(r/y c = 0.671) 8000 1.599 0.341 0.342 0.363
10000 1.999 0.228 0.229 0.239
12000 2.398 0.162 0.162 0.169

4000 0.323 0.947 0.973 0.975

8000 0.646 0.867 0.885 0.918
450 × 250× I0 12000 0.969 0.695 0.705 0.755
(r/.v c = 0.738) 16000 1.293 0.483 0.485 0.514
20000 1.616 0.335 0.337 0.347
25000 2.020 0.224 0.224 0.229

I000 0.243 0.991 0.990 0.983

2000 0.485 0.926 0.935 0.954
3000 0.728 0.832 0.850 0.891
150 × I00 × 6.3 4000 0.970 0.716 0.710 0.759
(r/.v~ = 0.738) 5000 1.213 0.531 0.538 0.574
6000 1.455 0.405 0.400 0.424
7000 1.698 0.306 0.3 I0 0.320
8000 1.940 0.242 0.242 0.249

? = outside the range of values given in BS 5400 : Part 5

 44 Journal o f Constructional Steel Research." ~bl. l, No. 4: September 1981

~ I : '~ .:i+~ . 3.2 stress-strain characteristics and residual stress patterns

can be accounted for. This is made possible by dividing
the cross+section into a series of quadrilaterals, and
then using Gauss quadrature formulae to carry out the
) i . . . . .
integrations required in the moment-thrust-curvature
relations. The ultimate load of the column is found by
); varying the applied loading and determining the
deflected shape using the moment-thrust-curvature rela-
o
' 1
~:.,~ i~+ 9r5 l,x+ 125 I~,; i;'5 ~..*~ 2;,~ 25.0 tions calculated above. The highest load for which a
deflected shape can be obtained is taken as the ultimate
Figure 8 AnalyEcal ultimate loads for circular hollow section load of the column. The procedure has been shown to
columns compared with ECCS column cun'e "a'
give good agreement with test results on circular as well
1
as rectangular hollow sections.
Parametric studies carried out using the computer
• °. + . r.,+ . I . ,i
)
program developed indicate that the ECCS recom-
• la i. ~,j
mendation to use European curve 'a' for the design of
,)
both circular and hollow sections (not welded) is fully
justified. The recommendation in BS 5400 : Part 3, that
use of curve 'A" or curve "B" should be based on the
value of r/.v~ for the particular cross-section appears to
bc unduly conservative, as far as structural hollow sec-
:-, + -.i t~ r-, t 1+ t :-, + ,+ I ,+-. :r ,., ~ ++, tions are concerned. It also places the designers of s o m e
t
of these sections in tile unfavourable position of having
t"~tltlrl' g ,.Itt+llvtictll ullimalt' [oodv f o r eirt'lllar hollow +z'('tie.t
eohtmn,$ with and witho.t re~idttctl stresi'e~ cotnparcd with [:'CCS to calculate the strength twice, once using curve 'A" and
('ollltHn CIIEVI" ' a " then using curve "B', and then to interpolate tile
strcngth on the basis of the r/y, value. In tile light of thc
wcrc tile same as for circular sections above. The evidence presented above, it would appear more reason-
results are given in Table 5 and are also plotted in able to adopt curve "A' in BS 5400 : Part 3 as the basic
Figure 10. All sections are safe when compared with design curve for all structural hollow sections.
both the European curve "a" and the BS 5400 : Part 3,
curve "A', and it will be noted that n o distinction can be
made between the sections on the basis of r/y~. REFERENCES
[ I!C(':~ ]:'ttrop¢'utt Reeotnltletld~tliotl.~" fi)r Steel Cott~lruction,
To assess the influence of residual stresses, a resi- 1't75 and 1978.
dual stress pattern shown in Figure 11 for a 2 III..I.R. II and sCIll~[+z, (; "Bases th,5oriqucs des ¢ourbcs

150 × 100 × 6.3 section was adopted. This pattcrn is curopccnncs de flambcmcnt.' Construction Metallique.
September 1970. 37-57.
an idealised version of the pattern reported by Estuar 3 BI~,I[ISI[ SI'ANI)-~RI)% [NSIIIUHON Use of SIruct.ral Steel in
and Tall. ~;~ The results given in Table 6 show that tile Baihtings. London. BS 449 : Part 2, 1970.

pattern of residual stress adopted has a negligible effect 4 I|RlrlSII SIANI).kR[)% INSFIIUTION COt'NCII. I:OI/. C O l ) I S I')1:
Draft British Standard Code o f t'ractice f o r the Use
I'll.A(' ll~'li
on the computed ultimate failure loads. ¢y" Structural Steel in Buihlings. t . o n d o n . BS 5950.

CONCLUSIONS T E N S [ LI'I
31":.~ [ D U A L S'I'[{ES.~
An analytical method has been presented which makes
Y~[I H P a
it possible to analyse sections of arbitrary shape in
compression and uniaxial bending. Arbitrary material
!

F l

C051IlRE:-;S [ VE
i~;i'X"; I DL'AI. STRI':5~'J
IO ~,lt':i bit)

,+

V------ I,)
£

I"i.k'ure IO . 4 n a ( v t i c a / t z l t i m a t e loads f o r rectangular hollow section

columns in major axi.$ bending, co.tpored wittt E C C S column ["igttre l I [dt'¢lli~t'd residual ~l¢'t'~vpatler/tJi]r il t5(} ~ tO0 ~ ~.J
C H r l ' I ' '11' rct'lotlk, tllar hollow ~t'ctiotr (q/'tt'r rt'ft'rettce 17)
 Design of Circular and Rectangular Hollow Section Columns 45

Table 6 Analytical results for 150 x 100 x 6.3 section with and without residual stresses
Ultimate failure loads (N/.Vy)
Column
length 2 ECCS curve "a" BS curve "A" Analytical Analytical
(ram) without with
res. Stress res. Stress

I000 0.243 0.991 0.990 0.983 0.982

2000 0.485 0.926 0.935 0.954 0.951
3000 0.728 0.832 0.850 0.891 0.887
4000 0.970 0.716 0.710 0.759 0.752
5000 1.213 0.531 0.538 0.574 0.570
6000 1.455 0.405 0.400 0.424 0.422
7000 1.698 0.306 0.3 I0 0.320 0.319
8000 1.940 0.242 0.242 0.249 0.249

5 BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION. Steel Girder Bridges.
London. BS 153 : Part 3B and 4. 1972.
6 BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION COUNCIL FOR CODES OF
PRACTICE. Draft British Standards Code of Practice for Steel.
Concrete and Composite Bridges. London. BS 5400 : Part 3.
February 1981.
7 AYRTON.W. E. and PERRY. t, "On Struts.' The Engineer, 1886,
464.
8 TALL. L. Stub-Column Test Procedure. Fritz Engineering
Laboratory Report No. 220A.36o February 1961. (Also given
in reference 103
9 ENGESSER. F. "Ueber die Knickfestigkeit gerader St/ibe.'
Zeitschrift fur A rchitektur und lngenieurwesen, 1889, 455.
I0 JOtlNSTON. B. G. led.). Guide to Stability Design Criteria for
Metal Structures (3rd edn.). John Wiley and Sons, New York,
1977.
II DWIf;IIT. J. B. Use of Perry formula to represent the new
European strut curves. Proceedings, Colloquium on Centrally
Compressed Struts, Paris, 1972.
12 CIII-N.W. I:. and A r s u r A . r . Theory of Beam Columns. Volume
I. McGraw-Ilill Book Company. New York. 1976.
13 ZIENKIEWICZ. O. C. The Finite Element Method. McGraw-Hill
Book Company, London, 1977.
14 WAGNER.A. L.. MUELLER. W. H. and ERZURUMLU. H. 'Ultimate
strength of tubular beam-columns." Proceedings of American
Society o f Civil Engineers. Journal of the Structural Division.
January 1977. 9-22.
15 SCttULZ. G. "Der Einfluss yon Querlasten auf die Traglast
schlamker, imperfektionsbehaltcr Druckst~ibe aus Baustahl."
Der Stahlbau. April 1971, I I I - I 18.
16 DWYER.T. J. and GALAMIIOS.T. V. Plastic behaviour of tubular
beam-columns." Proceedings o f American Socie(v o f Civil
Engineers. Journal o f the Structural Division. August 1965,
153-68.
17 ESTUAR. F. R. and TALL. I,. The column strength of hot rolh'd
tubular shapes - ,,In erperimcntal evaluation. Fritz Engineer-
ing Laboratory Report No. 296.1, April 1965.
Contributions discussing this paper should be received by the Editor
before I January 1982.

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