Lectures on Reinforced Concrete Design

COLUMNS
(Part 1)
Dr. Sherif El-Gamal
 Introduction

Columns are vertical Column

Slab
members that support loads
from slabs and beams

Foundations Beam

Foundation

Soil
Loads on Columns
 Columns are primarily compression members although they may also
have to resist bending moments.

Compression & Compression &

Compression
Uniaxial Moment Biaxial Moments
RC Columns and RC Walls
 The greatest overall cross-sectional dimension does not exceed four
times its smaller dimension (i.e. h 4b). With sections where h>4b
the member should be regarded as a RC wall for design purposes.
Columns RC Walls
h  4b h > 4b

h h

b b
Famous Shapes of Columns

Circular Square Rectangular

Mini. 6 bars Mini. 4 bars

Failure Modes of Columns

Short Compression/
Columns Shear failure

Long
(Slender Buckling
Columns)
Braced and Unbraced Columns
CLAUSE 3.8.1.5, BS 8110:
 A column may be considered braced
if the lateral loads are resisted by
shear walls or other form of bracing
rather than by the column.

 A column may be considered to be

unbraced if the lateral loads are
resisted by the sway action of the
column.
 Braced and Unbraced Columns
 Depending upon the layout of the structure, it is possible for the columns
to be braced or unbraced in both directions.

Braced in y-direction & Braced in both Unbraced in both

unbraced in x-direction directions directions

Shear walls Shear walls

Y

X
Short and Slender Columns
CLAUSE 3.8.1.3, BS 8110:
A column is short if:
Lex/h and Ley/b < 15 for braced columns
Lex/h and Ley/b < 10 for unbraced columns

Lox Loy
where Lex is the effective height (Le= Lo) of the
column in respect of the major axis (i.e. x-x
axis), Ley the effective height of the column in
respect of the minor axis, (i.e. y-y axis) b the X Y
width of the column and h the depth of the h b
column. Y
X

h b
Effective Height of a Column
CLAUSE 3.8.1.6 Equation 30:

Le   Lo

Where : Lo =clear height and

β = constant depending on end
connection given in:
 Table 3.19 (braced columns)
 Table 3.20 (unbraced
columns).
Effective Height of a Column
End Connections for use in Tables 3.19 & 3.20 are defined as follows:

Beam Beam Beam

or slab or slab or slab

Column Column Column

Condition 1 Condition 2 Condition 3 Condition 4

(hbeam > hcolumn) (hbeam < hcolumn) (Hinge) (Free)
(Fixed) (Partially Fixed) (Rotation only) (Rotation & Displacement)
Reinforcement Details
Longitudinal reinforcement
 Square and Rectangular columns  Minimum 4 longitudinal bars.
 Circular columns  Minimum 6 longitudinal bars.
 Bar Size  Minimum 12 mm.
 Area of longitudinal reinforcement (Asc) should be: (Clause 3.12.6.2, BS 8110)
a) 0.4% Ac < Asc < 6% Ac in a vertically cast columns.
b) 0.4% Ac < Asc < 8% Ac in a horizontally cast columns.
c) At laps: Asc  10% Ac for both types of columns.
 Minimum spacing of reinforcement > hagg + 5 mm
where hagg is the maximum size of the coarse aggregate.
 Maximum spacing = 250 mm.
Reinforcement Details
Transverse reinforcement (Links)
One-quarter of the size of the largest
longitudinal bar
Size of Links
(Greater of)
6 mm (in practice, a minimum link size of
8 mm is use)

12 times the size of the smallest

longitudinal bar
Spacing of links:
(Lesser of)
The smallest cross-sectional dimension of
the column
Arrangement of Links
 Every corner and alternate bar in an outer layer of reinforcement is
supported by a link passing around the bar and having an included
angle of not more than 135°.
 All other bars should be within 150 mm of a restrained bar.

 250 mm If < 150 mm If > 150 mm

(No need for an (need to use
additional link) additional link
End
Lectures on Reinforced Concrete Design

COLUMNS
(Part 2)
Axial Load
Axial Load Dr. Sherif El-Gamal
Loads on Columns
7200 7200 7200
Axial forces can be found by
considering the area of the 1

slab supported by the column

6000
multiplied by a load increase
of 10%. 2

3000
3
Area supported by column
C2 = 7.2x(3+6)/2=32.2m2

6000
N=32.2 x design load for the 4
slab x1.1 A B C D
Moments on Columns
Moments can be found by frame analysis or by using substitute frames
(cl.3.2.1.2.3)

Ku

Upper Unbalanced
MA MA
K
KL

Lower Unbalanced
MA MA
K
Design of Short-Braced Columns
For design purposes, BS 8110 divides short-braced columns into three
categories:
4
1.Columns resisting axial loads
only; (B2 & B3) L3

2.Columns supporting an 3
approximately symmetrical L3
arrangement of beams; (C2 &
2
C3)
L3
3.Columns resisting axial loads
and uniaxial or biaxial 1
L1 L1 L2
bending. (periphery columns).
A B C D

Plan
1. Design of Axially Loaded Columns

Clause 3.8.4.3, BS 8110:

 The ultimate load N which can be supported by a column
with the load applied perfectly axially to the column.
However, in practice, perfect conditions never exist. To
allow for a small eccentricity , the design load N is given
by the following expression:
N=0.4fcu Ac+ 0.8fyAsc (Eq. 38)
where: Ac= Area of concrete, Asc= Area of steel
 This is equation of BS8110 can be used to design short-
braced axially loaded columns.
2. Columns Supporting an Approximately
Symmetrical Arrangement of Beams
Clause 3.8.4.4, BS 8110:
 To design columns supporting an approximately
symmetrical arrangement of beams, provided that:
(a) the loadings on the beams are uniformly distributed, and
(b) the beam spans do not differ by more than 15% of the
longer,
The ultimate load N which the column can carry is given by:

N = 0.35fcuAc + 0.7fyAsc (Eq. 39)

 Equations 38 and 39 can also be used for initial sizing of
columns carrying symmetric arrangement of beams.
Ex. 1: Sizing a Concrete Column
A short-braced column in which fcu = 30 N/mm2 and fy = 460 N/mm2 is
required to support an ultimate axial load of 2000 kN. Determine a
suitable section for the column assuming that the area of longitudinal
steel, Asc is of the order of 3% of the gross cross-sectional area of column,
Ac .

Solution:
Example 2: Axially loaded column
Design the longitudinal steel and links for a 350 mm square, short braced
column which supports the following axial loads: Gk = 1000 kN Qk = 1000
kN. Assume fcu = 40 N/mm2, fyv = 250 N/mm2 and fy = 460 N/mm2.

Solution:
Example 3 : Column Supporting an Approximately
Symmetrical Arrangement of Beams
An internal column in a braced two-storey building supporting an approximately symmetrical
arrangement of beams (350 mm wide x 600 mm deep) results in characteristic dead and
imposed loads each of 1000 kN being applied to the column. The column is 350 mm square
and has a clear height of 4.5 m as shown in Figure below. Design the longitudinal
reinforcement and links assuming fcu = 40 mm2, fy = 460 mm2 , fyv = 250 mm2 .

SOLUTION:
End
Lectures on Reinforced Concrete Design

COLUMNS
Uniaxial
Moment (Part 3)
Uniaxial and Biaxial
Moments

Biaxial Dr. Sherif El-Gamal

Moments
Design of Short-Braced Columns
BS 8110 divides short-braced columns into three categories:

4
1.Columns supporting axial loads
only; (B2 & B3) L3

2.Columns supporting an 3
approximately symmetrical L3
arrangement of beams; (C2 &
2
C3)
L3
3.Columns supporting axial loads
and; 1
L1 L1 L2
(a) uniaxial bending.
A B C D
(b) biaxial bending.
Plan
3. Columns Supporting Axial Loads and Moments

(a) Compression & (b) Compression &

Uniaxial Moment Biaxial Moments
 Axial Load & Uniaxial Moment
b  cc  0.0035 0.45 f cu
Fsc
d‘  sc

S=0.9x
As'

X
Fcc
d
h
Neutral axis z
As
s Fst
Section Strains Stress block

The equilibrium equations are: N  Fcc  Fsc  Fs  o.45 f cubs  f sc As'  f s As

h s h   h
M  Fcc     Fsc   d '   Fs  d  
2 2 2   2
• These equations are not suitable for a direct solution.
• For symmetrical reinforcement in each face (i.e. As=As’) use the design
charts. BS8110:Part 3 contains such charts for different fcu, fy, and d’/d
1- Define b and h of the column (h is parallel to M)
2- Chose the suitable chart (fcu, fy and d/h)
3- Calculate N/bh  make a horizontal line
4- Calculate M/bh2  make a vertical line
5- Get  (100Asc/bh) at the intersection point  get Asc
(mm2).
6- Chose an even # of bars and 
7- Use half at the tail and half at the head of the moment
arrow.

h b

b h
Axial Load & Biaxial Bending:
Clause 3.8.4.5, BS 8110:
Where the column is subject to biaxial bending, the
problem is reduced to one of uniaxial bending simply by
increasing the moment about one of the axes using the
procedure outlined below.
 if Mx/h' > My/b'; the enhanced design moment, about
the x - x axis, Mx, is:
h'
Mx' Mx   M y ( Eq. 40)
b'
 if Mx/h' < My/b'; the enhanced design moment about
the y - y axis, My , is:
b'
M y ' M y   Mx ( Eq. 41)
h'
 h'
Mx' Mx   M y ( Eq. 40)
b'
b'
M y ' M y   Mx ( Eq. 41)
h'

• where b' and h' are the effective depths and β is

the enhancement coefficient for biaxial bending
obtained from Table 3. 22.

• The area of longitudinal steel can then be

determined using the ultimate axial load (N) and
enhanced moment (Mx’ or My') in the same way
as that described for uniaxial bending.
Example 4: Column resisting an axial load and
bending moment

 Design the longitudinal and shear reinforcement for a 275 mm square,

short-braced column which supports either
(a) an ultimate axial load of 1280 kN and a moment of 62.5 kN m about
the x-x axis.
(b) an ultimate axial load of 1280 kN and bending moments of 35 kN m
about the x-x axis and 25 kN m about the y-y axis.
Assume fcu = 30 N/mm2, fy = 460 N/mm2 and cover to all reinforcement
is 35 mm.
(a) Nult=1280 kN, Mx= 62.5 kN.m (Uniaxial) h=275

b=275
(b) Nult=1280 kN, Mx= 35 kN.m, My= 25 kN.m (Biaxial Bending)
Example 5: Biaxial Bending
 The column section shown is to be designed to resist an ultimate load
of 1200 kN plus moments Mx=75 kNm and My=80 kNm. fcu= 30 N/mm2,
fy=460 N/mm2.
End