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Compression Members

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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)

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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

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Resistance of Cross-Section

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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:

EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.2.4 (2)

Sections NOT PRONE to local buckling
Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections are
unaffected by local buckling.
Design resistance of cross-section Nc,Rd
equals the plastic resistance Npl,Rd.
Sections PRONE to local buckling
Class 4 sections suffers from local buckling
which prevents the attainment of squash load.
Design resistance of cross-section Nc,Rd
limited to local buckling resistance.

M0 = 1.00 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.
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Buckling Resistance of Member

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Elastic Buckling of Columns

Euler Buckling Load

Ncr = I = i2 A
L

i = radius of gyration

Buckling stress
 Buckling Curve of Perfect Column Failure by elastic buckling

f
where is the column slenderness.

fy is the radius of gyration.

Failure by
Cross section yielding Euler elastic buckling

1
When fcr = fy,  = 1

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Factors Influence the Buckling of Columns

f /fy
=0

Euler buckling curve

1. Effective length of Column

2. Residual Stresses
Imperfect
3. Member initial out-of-straightness
columns
4. Types of cross section
5. Local buckling of component plate

Elastic buckling
Practical Region
Inelastic buckling
 /1

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Factors that affect overall buckling of columns
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T -125 N/mm
C C 2
+55 N/mm

2
+260 N/mm C

C C

 =L / 1000 T

Rolled Section
T
T
C C

Initial out of straightness C

C C
T
T Web Distribution

Welded section
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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:

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 Design buckling resistance Nb,Rd should be
taken as: taken as:

If Class 4 section is unsymmetrical, it has to be 
M1 = 1.00 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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Reduction Factor  for Buckling Resistance
EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.3.1.2

where

 – imperfection factor (refer to Table 6.1 & 6.2)

– non-dimensional slenderness

For              , or for                     ,  the buckling resistance check 
can be ignored and only cross sectional checks apply.
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Buckling length
Lcr = effective length in BS5950
– No guidance given in EC3

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

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Elastic Critical Force & Buckling Length 
where I – 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.

Nominal buckling lengths Lcr for compression members

Non‐sway mode Sway mode

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Non‐Dimensional Slenderness for Flexural Buckling
For Class 1, 2 and 3 cross-sections,

For Class 4 cross-sections,

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Buckling Curves of Imperfect Columns
f /fy
=0

Euler buckling curve

=0.13
=0.21
=0.34
=0.49
=0.76

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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 a0 a b c d
Imperfection factor  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

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Design Procedure

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Design Procedure
Determine design axial force NEd.
Select a trial section such that NEd M0 / A < fy for Class 1, 2 or 3 cross-sections
NEd M0 / 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 –.

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Examples

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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.

N y

2.5m z z

A A

y
Section A–A
2.5m

N
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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

 Flange is Class 1 (Plastic).

Classification of web

 Web is Class 1 (Plastic).

Section is Class 1 (PLASTIC). 22
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Resistance of Cross–Section

Flexural Buckling about y-y axis

Use buckling curve b   = 0.34

Buckling curve a0 a b c d
Imperfection factor  0.13 0.21 0.34 0.49 0.76

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Flexural Buckling about z-z axis

Use buckling curve c   = 0.49

Buckling curve a0 a b c d
Imperfection factor  0.13 0.21 0.34 0.49 0.76

Buckling Resistance of Member

Minor axis buckling (z-axis) control!

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Page C-13
203x203x60UC in
S275 steel
Lcr,z = 2.5m
Nbz,Rd = 1710kN

Lcr,y = 5m
Nby,Rd = 1710kN

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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 ≤ 502 = 33.1
Section is Class 1.
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 Resistance of Cross–Section

Buckling Resistance of Member

Use buckling curve a   = 0.21

The chosen cross-section, 244.5x10 CHS, in grade S355 steel is not acceptable.
Try 244.5x12.5 CHS, in grade S355
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NEd, is 2400kN

Page D-15
hot-hrolled 244.5x10
CHS in grade 355
Le =4m

Nbz,Rd = 2300kN
<2400kN
Not adequate

Select
hot-rolled 244.5x12.5
CHS in grade 355
Nbz,Rd = 2830kN
>2400kN
adequate

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Typical effective length

factor for use in
column design
=KL
L
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Effective length factor for continuous columns based on
stability analysis
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Pin-connected space frame

 Adequate Bracing during
Construction
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5
4
Sequence of erection 3

2
1
1
Cantilever Structure

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 Cantilever trusses
6
5
4
3

2
1
1

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 Lateral bracing for
cantilever trusses
6
5
4
3

2
1
1

Purlin

Fly bracing Cantilever truss

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