SSD3601

STRUCTURAL STEEL &

TIMBER DESIGN
 A substantial proportion of this material has been obtained from

Jeffrey Mahachi, P. P. (2013). Design of Structural Steelwork to

SANS 10162. Xsi-tek.
Design of Compression
Members
Introduction
Structural members that are subjected to compressive force are referred to as columns, struts and
stanchions. Columns and stanchions are normally vertical elements that are axially loaded in building
frames. Struts are found on the frame of roof trusses and are dependent on the configuration to be called
compression members.

Here are typical examples of shapes that a compression member can take.
• THE FOLLOWING IS A GENERAL GUIDE FOR CHOOSING A SECTION
• Frames (where axial forces predominate) – use H-sections or fabricated
sections.
• Light trusses, lattice girders and bracings – use single and double angles, tees
and channels.
• Larger trusses and space frames – use circular hollow sections, rectangular
hollow sections, compound sections and H-sections.
 BUCKLING OF COMPRESSION MEMBERS
• Flexural-buckling of compression members.

• When a compression member is subjected to a loads, it must not only

be capable of withstanding the loads, but also remain stable under
these loads. The length of a member and the end connections
determine the stability characteristics of that load.

• Pin ended strut – is a member whose ends are supported such that they
cannot translate(move) relative to one another but are able to rotate freely.
• Fixed end strut – has both translation and rotational restraints – i.e. the strut
is not able to rotate or translate in any direction at the supports
• Consider a perfectly straight, pin-ended elastic column of length (L)
loaded concentrically by an axial force (C) as shown in figure 4.2.
Provide that load C is small, the column will remain in a straight
position, referred to as stable equilibrium, and undergo axial
deformation only. AS load (C) increases, a condition is reached
whereby the column is no longer stable, and it buckles normal to the
direction of the load.
• According to SANS 10162it is required that the sway effects produced
by the vertical loads acting on the structure in its displaced
configuration be included in the analysis, we will look at the
determination of K for a framed structure braced against side sway
only. A typical model of a column in a braced frame is shown in Figure
4.4.

(1) All members are prismatic and behave in an elastic manner.

(2) Axial forces in the girder (g) are negligible.
(3) All columns (c) in a storey buckle simultaneously.
(4) The restraining moment provided by the girders at the joint is
distributed among the columns in proportions to their stiffness.
(5) The rotations at the near and far ends of the girders are equal and
opposite (i.e. the girders are bent in single curvature) after buckling.
• Equation 4.9 can be expressed as shown in Figure 4.5. Calculate the
value of (G_U) and (G_L) from Equations 4.10 and 4.11. A straight line
joining G-values will cut the middle line, thus giving the value of K. For
a braced frame the value of K will lie between 0.5and 1.
The following notes should be considered when evaluating the relative
stiffness values of G. Do not consider theoretical values.

• The value G for practical designs may be taken as 10 to account for

the fact that an ideal pin-ended condition does not exist.
• For a properly designed footing G may be taken as 1.0.
• From assumptions 5 above, if the far end of the girder is pinned, then
the girder stiffness should be multiplied by 1.5. On the other hand, if
the far end of the girder is fixed against rotation, then the girder
stiffness should be multiplied by 2.0.
TORSIONAL FLEXURAL BUCKLING
• When a structural element like columns or beam columns subjected
to a concentric load (𝐶) they either buckle flexural by deflecting in the
x-direction (u-direction) or in the y-direction (v-direction)or may
buckle torsional by twisting (∅) along the longitudinal z-direction. For
further knowledge on the subject refer to Timonshenko and Gere
(1961).
CLASSIFICATION OF SECTIONS (CLAUSE 11)
• Most of the sections used in axial compression members are bending
members and bending members are made up of thin elements (webs
and flanges). These elements may fail by local buckling (phenomenon
referred to local instability). The local buckling load is usually lower
than that of the cross-section as the whole and will result in a lower
load carrying capacity of the section. Local buckling may be avoided
by restricting the slenderness of the elements. Here are the classes;

• Class 1 section – Plastic design sections

Plastic cross-sections will permit attainment of the plastic moment and
subsequent redistribution of the bending moment . These sections are
the only ones permitted in plastic design (figure 4.6(a)).
• Class 2 section – Compact sections
Compact sections will be permit attainment of the plastic moment but need
not allow for subsequent redistribution of the bending moment (see Figure
4.6(b)).

• Class 3 sections – Semi-compact sections

Semi-compact sections will permit attainment of the yield moment. Sections
can attain the design strength of the extreme fibres, but the full plastic
moment may develop because of local buckling (see Figure 4.6(c)).

• Class 4 sections – Slender sections

Slender sections will generally have local buckling of elements in
compression as the limit state of the structural resistance. These elements
may not attain the design strength due to local buckling (see Figure 4.6(d)).
• NOTE
• A cross-section may contain more than one class of element; in this case the
most slender element may govern its own classification. The maximum
limiting width to thickness ratios adapted from Table 3 of the Code are shown
here in Table 4.2.
• The slenderness ratio of the section shall be checked to ensure that it
does not exceed 200. Clause 10.4.1 stipulates that the slenderness
ratio shall be taken as the ratio of the effective (KL) to the
corresponding radius of gyration (r). The slenderness ratio is limited
DESIGN OF COMPRESSION MEMBERS
• Perfectly straight columns are rarely encountered in life.
• This is caused by geometry imperfections, material non-linearity and when the
column is not axially straight (i.e., the column has initial out of straightness).
• This is also caused by manufacturing defects.

• All material have residual stresses therefore they are not stress free.
• This stresses are a set of self-equilibrating stresses in a cross-section.
• These stresses develop during uneven cooling of the cross-section during fabrication
process.
• Some parts will lose heat more rapidly during fabrication due to surface area to ratio
volume ratio.
• The compression strength of a column is defined considering the
geometry and non-linearity and as a function of non-dimensional
slenderness ratio (𝜆).
(a) Double symmetric sections and axisymmetric sections (Clause
13.3.2 (a))
(a) Singly symmetric sections (Clause 13.3.2 (b))
(a) Asymmetric sections (Clause 13.3.2 (c))
DESIGN OF CLASS 4 MEMBERS IN COMPRESSION
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5