25.5.3 COLUMNS 25.5.3.

1 LONGITUDINAL REINFORCEMENT

a) Minimum reinforcement-The design method for columns suggested in 38.3 and 45.1
incorporate separate terms for the load carried by concrete and by longitudinal reinforcement
to ensure that only reinforced concrete columns are designed by these procedures.
Reinforcement is necessary to provide resistance to bending, which may exist whether or not
computations show that bending exists, and to reduce the effect of creep and shrinkage of
concrete under sustained loading. It has been observed that creep and shrinkage tend to
transfer load to the reinforcement, with a consequent increase in stress in reinforcement, and
that this increase is greater as the ratio of reinforcement decreases. Unless lower limit is
placed on this ratio, the stress in reinforcement may increase to yield level under sustained
load. For nominal reinforcement in pedestals, see 25.5.3.1(b). Requirements of minimum
reinforcement in wall are given in 31.4. Maximum reinforcement-The indicated limit can be
considered as a practical maximum in terms of requirements of placing of concrete. b) c) 4 e)
f) ia 70 Further restrictions are sometimes necessary on longitudinal steel; to say 2 % percent
of gross area in the case of mild steel bars and 4 percent in the case of cold-worked bars,
whenever heavy live loads are likely to come on the columns for a long period and are
subsequently removed, as in the case of columns supporting bins and silos; Larger column
sections may be adopted either for meeting local building regulations (say with respect to fire
resistance) or to use standard formworks or moulds. In such cases of lightly loaded columns,
the Code permits the calculation of minimum steel on the basis of the area of concrete
required to resist the direct stress. Two points may be mentioned: 1) 2) A minimum limit in
such cases will be that corresponding to pedestals, that is, 0.15 percent of .gross area [see
25.5.3.1(h)]. If the column is a part of a framework, accidental removal of the column in the
lower storey may convert the column under consideration into a tie carrying tension.
Reference 3 suggests a minimum steel area of 0*15 p fY to take care of this contingency.
(where P is the ultimate axial load imposed on the column, expressed in Newton’s, and f, is
expressed in N/mm*). In all cases the minimum number of bars and the minimum diameter of
longitudinal bars must be provided. For shapes other than rectangular or circular, at least one
bar should be provided at each apex or corner with proper lateral reinforcement provided.
The minimum diameter is based on the requirements of stiffness and, therefore, is
independent of the strength or type of the steel. - - When columns carry large bending
moments and small axial forces, they can be approximated to