HOW TO CHECK COLUMN BASE IN MULTI STOREY
BUILDING?
… worked examples for CO001
Design and check column base in multi storey building. Column base behave as pinned in both directions.
Column section is HEB 200 made of steel S235, concrete foundations are made from C25/30. Between base
plate 20 mm thick and pad footing grout is realized with 50 mm thickness.
BUILDING DIMENSIONS
L=6m span a
B=6m span b
nL = 8 number of spans in a direction
nB = 6 number of spans in b direction
Ltot = 48 m building length
Btot = 36 m building width
H = 3,6 m level high
nH = 5 number of floors
Htot = 18 building high
LOADS
gk = 3,0 kN/m2 dead load (ceiling + secondary beam + primary beam + floor)
acting on 5 floors
qs,k = 0,8 kN/m2 snow load
acting on 1 floor = roof
ql,k = 2,5 kN/m2 live load (not closely specified)
acting on 4 floors
qw,k = 0,6 kN/m2 wind load on walls
acting on 2 walls
floors
EXAMPLE 1 – middle column out of bracing system
Calculate normal force at column base and check designed geometry and materials. Column is subjected to
the self-weight, dead load, snow load and live load with loading area defined in figure. Calculated column is
not part of bracing system – there are not additional forces due to bracing system. In column base there are
compressive normal forces only, this forces are transmitted to foundations by contact between base plate and
concrete. Anchor bolts are not loaded and they don’t need to be checked.
Normal force in column base
Load area
A load B H 6 6 36 m
2
Column self-weight
6
N self A column g steel H 7810 . 10 78 , 5 18 11 , 0 kN
Dead load
N dead A load g k n floor 36 3 , 0 4 432 , 0 kN
Live load
N live A load g l, k n floor 36 2 , 5 4 360 , 0 kN
Snow load
N snow A load g s, k 36 0 , 8 28 , 8 kN
Total load using combination rule 6.10
N Ed G
N self N dead Q N live N snow 0, snow
1, 35 11 432 1, 5 360 28 , 8 0 , 5 1160 kN
Column base geometry
anchor bolt column
base plate
grout
pad footing
t = 20 mm base plate thickness
b1 = 300 mm base plate width
d1 = 300 mm base plate width
b = 1000 mm pad footing width
d = 1000 mm pad footing width
h = 800 mm pad footing depth
Column base material
Base plate material: structural steel S235
fy = 235 MPa yield strength
E = 210 GPa Young's modulus
γM0 = 1,0 partial safety factor for structural steel
Pad footing material: concrete C25/30
fc,k = 25 MPa compression strength
γc = 1,5 partial safety factor for concrete
Grout: not specified
Column base check
Strength in concentrated pressure is calculated using transmitting truncated cone according figure below.
Load transmitting layer made of grout is neglected in calculations.
b1 2 b r 300 2 350 1000
b2 min 3 b1 3 300 900 900 mm
300 800 1100
b1 h
d1 2d r 300 2 350 1000
d2 min 3 d 1 3 300 900 900 mm
300 800 1100
d1 h
Stress concentration factor
b2 d 2 900 900
kj 3,0
b1 d 1 300 300
Joint coefficient (introducing grout quality and thickness)
j 2 3 on the safe side (if fmd ≥ 0,2 fcd and if t ≤ 0,2·min{b1; d1}
Design value of concrete concentrated pressure strength
j k j f c, k 2 3 3 , 0 25
f j, d 33 , 3 MPa
c
1, 5
Effective length of cantilever
fy 235
c t 20 30 , 7 mm
3 f j, d M0
3 33 , 3 1 , 0
Effective area of the base plate under HEB section with uniformly distributed stress
effective area = area of H-shape
=> column section with c offset
on all sides
holes for anchor bolts
A eff 47 529 mm
2
Resistance of base plate
N Rd A eff f jd 47 529 33 , 3 1584 . 10 N 1584
3
kN
Reliability condition
N 1160
Ed
0 , 73 1, 0 => condition is satisfied
N Rd
1584
EXAMPLE 2 – middle column is a member of bracing system
Calculate normal force at column base and check designed geometry and materials. Column is subjected to
the self-weight, dead load, snow load and live load with loading area defined in figure. Calculated column is
part of bracing system – there are additional compressive forces due to acting in bracing system. In column
base there are compressive normal forces only, this forces are transmitted to foundations by contact between
base plate and concrete. Anchor bolts are not loaded and they don’t need to be checked.
a) Maximum normal force in column base
Load area
A load B H 6 6 36 m
2
Column self-weight
6
N self A column g steel H 7810 . 10 78 , 5 18 11 , 0 kN
Dead load
N dead A load g k n floor 36 3 , 0 4 432 , 0 kN
Live load
N live A load g l, k n floor 36 2 , 5 4 360 , 0 kN
Snow load
N snow A load g s, k 36 0 , 8 28 , 8 kN
Bending moment caused by wind load on cantilever substituting truss bracing:
2 2
L tot H 48 18
q w, k 0 ,6 2333
tot
M wind
kNm (simplified calculation is valid for two bracing at
2 2 2 2
the both walls)
Additional force resulting from truss bracing
M 2333
389 kN
wind
N wind
(compress)
B 6
Nwind Nwind
VEd Mwind
VEd
Total load using combination rule 6.10
N Ed
G
N self N dead Q N live N snow 0, snow
N wind
0, wind
1, 35 11 432 1, 5 360 28 , 8 0 , 5 389 0 , 6 1510 kN
Column base geometry
Same as in example 1.
Column base material
Same as in example 1.
Column base check
Resistance is same as in example 1
Reliability condition
N 1510
0 , 95
Ed
1, 0 => condition is satisfied
N Rd
1584
b) Horizontal force in column base
L tot H 48 18
V Ed Q
q w, k tot
1, 5 0 , 6 194 kN (simplified calculation is valid for two bracing at
2 2 2 2
the both walls and both tensional and compressed bracing diagonals are active; in the case where only
tensional diagonal is active – compressed diagonal is out of function – horizontal reaction is whole at one
base plate)
Alternative 1: horizontal force transmitted by friction between base plate and concrete
The friction force Ff,Rd dependent on the normal compression force in column base. This force should be
calculated as minimum force Nc,Ed,min from combination of dead load (with partial coefficient 1,0) and wind
load.
N c, Ed, min
G
N self
N dead
Q N wind
1 , 0 11 432 1, 5 389 1026 kN
F f, Rd C f, d N c, Ed, min
0 , 2 1026 205 kN
Reliability condition
V Ed 194
0 , 95 1, 0 => condition is satisfied
V Rd 205
Alternative 2: horizontal force transmitted by shear of anchor bolts
This calculation may be used only for standard diameters of bolt holes!
Shear resistance of one bolt made of rod with diameter 20 mm, steel S355:
F1, vb, Rd 40 , 82
F vb, Rd min min 32 , 03 kN
F 2, vb, Rd 32 , 03
where
v f ub A s 0 , 5 490 245
F1, vb, Rd 0 , 85 0 , 85 40 , 82 kN (coefficient 0,85 should be used for bolts
M2
1, 25
made of rods)
bc f ub A s 0 , 333 490 245
F 2, vb, Rd 32 , 03 kN
M2
1 , 25
bc 0 , 44 0 , 0003 f yb 0 , 44 0 , 0003 355 0 , 333
Resistance of two bolts in column base
V Rd n b F vb, Rd 2 32 , 03 64 kN
Reliability condition
V Ed 194
3 , 03 1, 0 => condition is not satisfied
V Rd 64
Alternative 3: horizontal force transmitted by shear key (shear lug)
Shear key made of IPE, HEB or channel (sometimes CHS or SHS may be used) is welded to bottom face of
base plate. On the upper face of pad footing, empty space is omitted during concreting. After the column is
erected and fixed in vertical position, the empty space is infill by grout. Shear key ant it's welds need to be
checked on bending and shear. Horizontal stress should be compared with concrete strength.
EXAMPLE 3 – facade column as a member of bracing system
Calculate normal force at column base and check designed geometry and materials. Column is subjected to
the self-weight, dead load, snow load and live load with loading area defined in figure bellow. Calculated
column is part of bracing system – there are additional tensional forces due to acting in bracing system.
a) Maximum normal force in column base
Load area
A load B H 3 6 18 m
2
Column self-weight
6
N self A column g steel H 7810 . 10 78 , 5 18 11 , 0 kN
Dead load
N dead
A load g k n floor 18 3 , 0 4 216 , 0 kN
Live load
N live
A load g l, k n floor 18 2 , 5 4 180 , 0 kN
Snow load
N snow
A load g s, k 18 0 , 8 14 , 4 kN
Bending moment on cantilever substituting truss bracing caused by wind load:
2 2
L tot H 48 18
M wind
q w, k tot
0 ,6 2333 kNm (simplified calculation is valid for two bracing at
2 2 2 2
the both walls)
Additional force resulting from truss bracing
M 2333
389 kN
wind
N wind
(tension force)
B 6
Nwind Nwind
Mwind
VEd VEd
Total load using combination rule 6.10
N Ed
G
N self N dead Q N live N snow 0, snow
N wind
0, wind
1, 35 11 216 1, 5 180 14 , 4 0 , 5 389 0 , 6 971 kN
Column base geometry
Same as in example 1.
Column base material
Same as in example 1.
Column base check
Resistance is same as in example 1
Reliability condition
N 971
0 , 61
Ed
1, 0 => condition is satisfied
N Rd
1584
b) Minimum normal force in combination with horizontal force in column base
L tot H 48 18
V Ed Q
q w, k tot
1, 5 0 , 6 194 kN (simplified calculation is valid for two bracing at
2 2 2 2
the both walls and both tensional and compressed bracing diagonals are active; in the case where only
tensional diagonal is active – compressed diagonal is out of function – horizontal reaction is whole at one
base plate)
Total load using combination rule 6.10 (compressive forces are favourable, tensional force is unfavourable)
N Ed
G, fovourable
N self N dead Q, unfovourab le
N wind
Q, fovourable
N live
N snow 0, snow
1, 0 11 216 1, 5 389 0 , 0 180 14 , 4 0 , 5 357 kN (tension force in column!)
In column base there is tensional normal force, this force is transmitted to foundations by anchor bolts. Base
plate is not loaded and it don’t need to be checked.
Alternative 1: horizontal force transmitted by friction between base plate and concrete
Couldn't be used because of compressive normal force absence!!!
Alternative 2: horizontal force transmitted by shear of anchor bolts
Same as in example 2.
Alternative 3: horizontal force transmitted by shear key (shear lug)
Same as in example 2.
Anchor bolts check
There are more ways how to anchor bolts may fail. Next conditions should be checked:
Tension of bolts (according to the EN 1993-1-8)
Adhesion failure between bolt and concrete (according to the CEN/TS 1992-4-1; ETAG 001)
Pull out of one bolt from concrete block (according to the CEN/TS 1992-4-1; ETAG 001)
Pull out of group of bolts from concrete block (according to the CEN/TS 1992-4-1; ETAG 001)
Equilibrium limit state
Pull out of whole pad footing from ground (according to the EN 1990)