ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.

) Brian Odero

DESIGN OF REINFORCED COLUMNS

General considerations
-The columns in a structure carry the axial loads from the beams and slabs down to the foundations,
and therefore they are primarily compression members, although they may also have to resist
bending forces due to the continuity of the structure.
Loading and moments
-From the part floor plan in the figure below, the internal column A is designed for predominantly
axial load while edge columns B and corner column C are designed for axial load and appreciable
moment.

BRACED AND UNBRACED COLUMNS

-Lateral stability in braced reinforced concrete structures is provided by shear walls, lift shafts and
stairwells. In the analysis it necessary to classify the structure into one of the following types:

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

a) Braced columns– where the lateral loads are resisted by shear walls or other forms of
bracing capable of transmitting all horizontal loading to the foundations. For braced columns,
all horizontal load is resisted by a stiff lift shaft (shear wall) so that the column ends deflect
very little. The axial load and the bending moments at the ends of a braced column arise from
the vertical loads acting on the beams. The horizontal loads do not affect the forces or
deformation of the column. The columns do not contribute to the overall horizontal stability
of the structure. With a braced structure the axial forces and moments in the columns are
caused by the vertical permanent and variable actions only.
b) Unbraced columns – where horizontal loads are resisted by the frame action of rigidly
connected columns, beams and slabs. For unbraced structures, resistance to lateral forces is
provided by bending in the columns and beams in that plane. The column ends can deflect
laterally. The axial force and moments in unbraced column are caused not only by the vertical
load on the beams but also by the lateral loads acting on the structure and additional moments
due to the axial load being eccentric to the deflected column.

(a) Braced structure. (b) Unbraced structure.

COLUMN CLASSIFICATION AND FAILURE MODES
(1) Slenderness ratio of a column
-Slenderness, and the risk of lateral deflections leading to buckling, is an important consideration in
determining failure modes and special requirements will apply to the design of slender columns.
Slender columns buckle and the additional moments caused by deflection must be taken into account
in design. Design of columns is governed by the ultimate limit state; deflections and cracking during

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

service conditions are not usually a problem, but nevertheless correct detailing of the reinforcement
and adequate cover are important.
-The slenderness ratio - of a column bent about an axis is given by (see EC2-1.1, cl. 5.8.3.2);
𝒍𝒐 𝒍𝒐
𝝀 = =
𝒊 √(𝑰⁄𝑨)
where
lo - is the effective height of the column
i - is the radius of gyration about the axis considered
I - is the second moment of area of the section about the axis
A - is the cross-sectional area of the column
(2) Effective height lo of a column
-The effective height of a column, lo, is the height of a theoretical column of equivalent section but
pinned at both ends. This depends on the degree of fixity at each end of the column, which itself
depends on the relative stiffnesses of the columns and beams connected to either end of the column
under consideration. For columns that are considered over multiple storeys, a more rigorous
approach using formulae must be adopted. EC2 gives two formulae for calculating the effective height,
(see EC2-1.1, cl. 5.8.3.2 (3));
-For braced members:

𝒌𝟏 𝒌𝟐
𝒍𝒐 = 𝟎. 𝟓𝒍√(𝟏 + ) (𝟏 + )
𝟎. 𝟒𝟓 + 𝒌𝟏 𝟎. 𝟒𝟓 + 𝒌𝟐

-For unbraced members, the larger of;

𝒌𝟏 ∗ 𝒌𝟐 𝒌𝟏 𝒌𝟐
𝒍𝒐 = 𝒍 ∗ 𝒎𝒂𝒙 {√(𝟏 + 𝟏𝟎 ) ; (𝟏 + ) (𝟏 + )}
𝒌𝟏 + 𝒌𝟐 𝟏 + 𝒌𝟏 𝟏 + 𝒌𝟐

where l is the clear height of the column between end restraints.

-In the above formulae, k1 and k2 are the relative flexibilities of the rotational restraints at ends
‘1’ and ‘2’ of the column respectively. At each end k1 and k2 can be taken as:
𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 (𝐸𝐼 ⁄𝑙 )𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛 (𝐼 ⁄𝑙 )𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛
𝑘= = =
∑ 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 ∑ 2(𝐸𝐼 ⁄𝑙 )𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑚 ∑ 2(𝐼 ⁄𝑙 )𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑚
(𝑰⁄𝒍)𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒏
𝒌=
∑ 𝟐(𝑰⁄𝒍)𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒎

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

It is assumed that any column above or below the column under consideration does not contribute
anything to the rotational restraint of the joint and that the stiffness of each connecting beam is taken
as 2EI=l to allow for cracking effects in the beam.
As a general definition, the value of l0 for isolated members with constant cross section can be
determined using the restraints rules provided in Table 1, which are based on Figure 5.7 in BS EN
1992-1-1, (see EC2-1.1, cl. 5.8.3.2 (2) and Manual for the design of building structures to Eurocode 2));
Table 5.21: Effective height, lo, factors for columns

Condition 1: Column connected monolithically to beams on each side that are at least as deep as the
overall depth of the column in the plane considered. Where the column is connected to a foundation
this should be designed to carry moment, in order to satisfy this condition.
Condition 2: Column connected monolithically to beams or slabs on each side that are shallower than
the overall depth of the column in the plane considered, but generally not less than half the column
depth.
Condition 3: Column connected to members that do not provide more than nominal restraint to
rotation.
(3) Limiting slenderness ratio – short or slender columns
-EC2-1.1 cl 5.8.3.1, places an upper limit on the slenderness ratio of a single member below which
second order effects may be ignored. This limit is given by:
𝜆𝑙𝑖𝑚 = 20 ∗ 𝐴 ∗ 𝐵 ∗ 𝐶 ⁄√𝑛
Where;
𝐴 = 1/(1 + 0.2𝜙𝑒𝑡
𝐵 = √1 + 2𝑤
𝐶 = 1.7 − 𝑟𝑚
𝜙𝑒𝑡 = effective creep ratio (if not known A can be taken as 0.7)
𝑤 = 𝐴𝑠 𝑓𝑦𝑑 ⁄(𝐴𝑐 𝑓𝑐𝑑 )(if not known B can be taken as 1.1)
𝑓𝑦𝑑 = the design yield strength of the reinforcement
𝑓𝑐𝑑 = the design compressive strength of the concrete
𝐴𝑠 = the total area of the longitudinal reinforcement

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

𝑛 = 𝑁𝐸𝑑 ⁄(𝐴𝑐 𝑓𝑐𝑑 )

𝑁𝐸𝑑 = the design ultimate axial load in the column
𝑀
𝑟𝑚 = 𝑀01 (if rm not known then C can be taken as 0.7)
02

M01 and M02 are the first order moments.

M01 = min (Mtop; Mbottom), M02 = max (Mtop; Mbottom),
In the following cases, rm should be taken as 1,0 (i.e. C = 0,7):
- For braced members in which the first order moments arise only from or predominantly due
to imperfections or transverse loading. The minimum limiting value of λ will be given by
taking C = 2.7 (rm =1, C = 1.7–(–1) = 2.7). Hence:

𝑁𝐸𝑑
𝜆𝑙𝑖𝑚 = 20 ∗ 0.7 ∗ 1.1 ∗ 2.7⁄√
(𝐴𝑐 𝑓𝑐𝑑 )

𝑵𝑬𝒅
𝝀𝒍𝒊𝒎 = 𝟒𝟏. 𝟖⁄√
(𝑨𝒄 𝒇𝒄𝒅 )

- For an unbraced column an approximation to the limiting value of λ will be given by taking C
= 1.7 (rm =0, C = 1.7–(–0) = 1.7). Hence:

𝑁𝐸𝑑
𝜆𝑙𝑖𝑚 = 20 ∗ 0.7 ∗ 1.1 ∗ 1.7⁄√
(𝐴𝑐 𝑓𝑐𝑑 )

𝑵𝑬𝒅
𝝀𝒍𝒊𝒎 = 𝟐𝟔. 𝟐⁄√
(𝑨𝒄 𝒇𝒄𝒅 )

Note: In some structures it is unlikely that all the floors of a building will carry the full imposed load
at the same instant, therefore a reduction is allowed in the total imposed load when designing columns
or foundations in buildings which are greater than two storeys in height, further guidance on this can
be found in BS EN1991-1-1 (Actions on structures).

DESIGN MOMENTS
1) Design of single bending of short columns
MEd=max (M02, eoNEd)

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

 M02=max (Mtop, Mbottom) + eiNEd

o ei= lo/400
o NEd= design load in the column
 e0= max {h/30,20mm}

Note: |M02|>|M01|
2) Design of biaxial bending of short columns
-The loading patterns necessary to cause biaxial bending in a building’s internal and edge columns will
not usually cause large moments in both directions. However, corner columns may have to resist
significant bending about both axes, but the axial loads are usually small and a design similar to the
adjacent edge columns is generally adequate.
-No further check is necessary if the following two conditions are satisfied.
 Code equation (5.38a) requiring that the ratio of slenderness
λy/λz ≤ 2.0 and λz/λy ≤ 2.0 (5.38a)
 Code equation (5.38b) requiring that the relative eccentricities ey/h and ez/b satisfy the
condition
(ey/h)/ (ez/b) ≤ 0.2 or (ez/b)/ (ey/h) ≤ 0.2 (5.38b)

ey and ez are respectively the eccentricity along the y- and z-axes.

ez = MEdy/NEd, ey = MEdz/NEd

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

MEdy, MEdz and NEd are respectively the design values of bending moment about the y-axis, bending
moment about the z-axis and axial load.
-The common method specifies that a column subjected to an ultimate load Ned and moments Mz
and My in the direction of the Z – Z and Y – Y axes respectively (see figure below) may be designed
for a single axis bending but with an increased moment and subject to the following conditions.

Colum section with biaxial bending

a) if
𝑀𝑧 𝑀𝑦
≥ , then the increased single axis design moment is
ℎ′ 𝑏′

ℎ′
𝑀𝑧′ = 𝑀𝑧 + 𝛽 ∗ 𝑀𝑦
𝑏′
b) if
𝑀𝑧 𝑀𝑦
< , then the increased single axis design moment is
ℎ′ 𝑏′

𝑏′
𝑀𝑦′
= 𝑀𝑦 + 𝛽 ′ ∗ 𝑀𝑧
ℎ
The dimensions h’ and b’ are defined in figure above and the coefficient β is obtained from the
equation
𝑁𝐸𝑑
𝛽 =1−
𝑏ℎ𝑓𝑐𝑘
3) Design of slender columns
MEd=M0e+ M2 (5.31)
M0Ed is the 1st order moment including the effect of imperfections
M2 is the nominal 2nd order moment.

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

Moments in slender columns

a) M0e=max (0.6 M02+0.4 M01; 0.4M02)
o M02=max (Mtop, Mbottom) + eiNEd
o M01=min (Mtop, Mbottom) + eiNEd
o ei= lo/400
o NEd= design load in the column
b) e0= max {h/30,20mm}
c) M2=e2NEd

𝐾1 𝐾2 𝑙02 𝑓𝑦𝑘
𝑒2 =
103500𝜋 2 𝑑
K1-conservatively taken as 1.0 and K2-initial value as 1.0, fyk = strength of steel bars, d
= effective depth

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

COLUMN DESIGN CHARTS

The charts are useful for studying the strengths of columns with varying proportions of loads and
moments. Any combination of loading that falls inside the curve is satisfactory, whereas any
combination falling outside the curve represents failure.
 If a column is loaded to failure with an axial load only, the failure will occur at point A of the
Figure below. Moving out from point A on the curve, the axial load capacity decreases as the
proportion of bending moment increases.
 Point C represents the bending strength of the member if it is subjected to moment only with
no axial load present.
 In between the extreme points A and C, the column fails because of a combination of axial
load and bending. Point B is called the balanced point and represents the balanced loading case,
where theoretically a compression failure and tensile yielding occur simultaneously.
 At point D on the curve, the horizontal and vertical dashed lines to this point indicate a
particular combination of axial load and moment at which the column will fail.
 Radial line(s) drawn from point O to the interaction curve at any point (as to D in this case),
represents a constant eccentricity of load, that is, a constant ratio of moment to axial load.
 From A to B on the curve, the moment capacity of a section increases as the axial load
decreases, but just the opposite occurs from B to C.
 The part of the curve from B to C represents the range of tensile failures. Any axial
compressive load in that range tends to reduce the stresses in the tensile bars, with the result
that a larger moment can be resisted.

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

Design provisions
-When the section carries mainly axial load it is symmetrically reinforced with four, six, eight or
more bars held in a cage by links. It is not practical to cast vertically columns smaller than 200 mm
square. General requirements for design of columns are treated in section 5.8 of Eurocode 2. The
provisions apply to columns where the greater cross-sectional dimension does not exceed four times
the smaller dimension. The minimum size of a column must meet the fire resistance requirements
given in Eurocode 2: Design of Concrete Structures-Part 1-2: General Rules-Structural
Minimum diameter of longitudinal bar
Clause 9.5.2(1) states that the longitudinal bar should have a diameter not less than 8 mm.

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

Minimum area of reinforcement

-Clause 9.5.2(2) states that the total amount of longitudinal reinforcement should not be less than As,
min . As, min = 0.10 NEd /fyd or 0.002 Ac whichever is greater,
where NEd = design axial force and Ac is the cross-sectional area of concrete.
Maximum area of reinforcement
Clause 9.5.2(3) states that the total area of longitudinal reinforcement should not exceed As, max:
As, max = 0.04 Ac outside laps
As, max = 0.08 Ac at laps
Polygonal columns
Clause 9.5.2(4) states that there should be a longitudinal bar at each corner. In the case of circular
columns, there should be a minimum of four bars.
Requirements for links
-It is necessary to provide transverse reinforcement like links, hoops, helical or spiral reinforcement
to prevent the longitudinal reinforcement from buckling. The transverse reinforcement confines the
concrete and therefore increases its compressive strength. The figure below shows the use of links.
Clause 9.5.3 covers containment of compression reinforcement using transverse reinforcement:
1. The diameter of the transverse reinforcement should not be less than 6 mm or one-quarter of
the diameter of the largest longitudinal bar whichever is greater.
2. The maximum spacing is to be Scl, max. Scl, max = minimum of:
 20 times the diameter of the smallest longitudinal bar
 The lesser dimension of the column
 400 mm
3. The maximum spacing in (2) above can be reduced by a factor of 0.6:
 In sections within a distance equal to the larger dimension of the column cross section
above or below a beam or slab.
 Near lapped joints, if the maximum diameter of the longitudinal bar is greater than 14 mm.
A minimum of three links should be evenly placed in the lap length.
4. Every longitudinal bar or bundle of bars placed in a corner should be held by a link. No bar
within a compression zone should be further than 150 mm from a restrained bar.
5. If the direction of bars changes by less than equal to 1 in 12, any change in lateral forced can
be ignored.

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ECE 2415: Structural Design II By: Dr. (Eng.) Brian Odero

Compression anchorage length and laps

The required anchorage length in compression is given by equation below of the code, ℓb, min > max
(0.3ℓb, reqd; 10φ; 100mm)

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