BASE PLATES FOR CONCENTRICALLY LOADED COLUMNS

When a steel column is supported by a footing, it is necessary for the column load to be spread over a
sufficient area to keep the footing from being overstressed. Loads from steel columns are transferred
through a steel base plate to a fairly large area of the footing below.
The base plates for steel columns can be welded directly to the columns, or they can be fastened by means
of some type of bolted or welded lug angles. These connection methods are illustrated below
Behavior if base plate under load
 Plate Area

The design strength of the concrete in bearing beneath the base plate must at least equal the load to be carried.
1- When the base plate covers the entire area of the concrete, the nominal bearing strength of the concrete ( P
p) is

𝑃𝑃𝑢𝑢 =Ø𝑐𝑐 0.85 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝐴𝐴1 -- FD Equation J8-1

𝐴𝐴1 = Area of the base plate, in2 , mm2

2-Should the full area of the concrete support not 𝐴𝐴2 = Area of the concrete footing, in2, mm2
be covered by the plate, the concrete underneath
the plate, surrounded by concrete outside, will be 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 =Specified Compressive Strength of
somewhat stronger. For this situation, the AISC Concrete ksi, Mpa, Ø𝑐𝑐 = 0.65
Specification permits the nominal strength 0.85
𝐴𝐴2
𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝐴𝐴1 to be increased by multiplying it by
𝐴𝐴1

𝐴𝐴2
𝑃𝑃𝑢𝑢 =Ø𝑐𝑐 0.85 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝐴𝐴1 ≤ Ø𝑐𝑐 1.7 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝐴𝐴1 -- LRFD Equation J8-2
𝐴𝐴1

𝐴𝐴2
≤2
𝐴𝐴1
 Dimensions of base plate
1- It is desired to round up the plate dimension to nearest 1 or 2 in

2- to make both dimensions of a base plate equal , this procedure to follow must be done

N ≈ 𝐴𝐴1 +Δ

𝐴𝐴1 = B N

Δ= 0.5 (0.95d-0.80𝑏𝑏𝑓𝑓 )

N= 𝐴𝐴1 + Δ

B = 𝐴𝐴1 /N
 Base plate thickness

2 𝑃𝑃𝑢𝑢
𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 =L
0.9 𝐹𝐹𝑦𝑦 𝐵𝐵 𝑁𝑁

L= Max (m, n, ʎ)

ʎ = 𝑑𝑑𝑏𝑏𝑓𝑓 /4 , 𝐹𝐹𝑦𝑦 = yield stress of a base plate

Go to page 225 0f structure steel design and review some written examples