COMPRESSION MEMBERS
(NSCP 2015, Section 505)
Compression Members
• Compression members are structural elements subjected to axial
forces that tend to push the end of the members toward each other.
• The most common compression member in a building structure is a
column. Columns are vertical members that support the horizontal
elements of a roof or floor system.
• Among the other types are the top chords of trusses and various
bracing members.
Three general modes by which axially loaded
columns can fail:
1. Flexural buckling Buckling occurs when a straight
(Euler buckling) column subjected to axial
compression suddenly undergoes
• The primary type of bending.
buckling
• Members are
subjected to flexure,
or bending, when
they become unstable
Image source: [Link]
2. Local buckling
• Occurs when some part or
parts of the cross section of
a column are so thin that
they buckle locally in
compression before the
other modes of buckling
can occur.
3. Flexural torsional buckling
• May occur in columns that
have certain cross-sectional
configurations
• The columns fail by twisting
or a combination of
torsional and flexural
buckling.
• When the length of column is increased maintaining the same cross
sectional area, its tendency to buckle also increases and its load carrying
capacity decreases.
• Tendency to buckle is also affected by:
Types of end connections
Eccentricity of load application
Imperfection of column material
Initial crookedness of columns.
Residual stresses from manufacture.
• Slenderness ratio – the direct measure of compression members’
tendency to buckle, is the ratio of its length to its least radius of gyration.
• The ideal situation is for all the loads attached to the column to pass
through the centroid of the column section aside from conditions of
columns to have no flaws, made homogeneously, and perfectly straight.
EULER COLUMN
• To address the impact of length on
compression member behaviour, a
simple model, as shown in the
figure, is used. Leonard Euler (1707
– 1783), a Swiss mathematician, is
credited with many significant
contributions in the field of
Newtonian mechanics, among
them the derivation of the elastic
column buckling formula. His
theory was presented in 1759 and
is still the basis for the analysis and
design of slender columns. Assumptions:
1. The column ends are frictionless pins
2. The column is perfectly straight
3. The load is applied along the centroidal axis
4. The material behaves elastically
Euler Formula
𝜋 2 𝐸𝐼
𝑃=
𝐿2
𝑃 𝜋2 𝐸𝐼 To successfully use the Euler equation for practical
= 𝐹𝑒 =
𝐴 𝐿2 𝐴 columns, the value of L should be the distance between
points of inflection in the buckled shape (this distance
𝐼
But 𝑟 = is referred to as the effective length of the column).
𝐴
𝜋 2𝐸
𝐹𝑒 = 2
𝐿
𝑟
END RESTRAINT AND
EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF
COLUMNS
The effective length as
defined in steel
specification is equal to KL.
The element K is called the
effective length factor and
is dependent on the
rotational restraint
supplied at the ends of the
column and upon the
resistance to lateral
movement provided.
For members designed on the basis of compression the
slenderness ratio KL/r preferably should not exceed 200.
Classification of Columns
• Long columns - Columns that fail by elastic
buckling, where buckling occurs at
compressive stresses within the elastic
range.
• Short columns – the failure stress will equal
the yield stress and no buckling will occur.
It will crush or squash owing to general
yielding, and compressive stresses will be in
the inelastic range.
• Intermediate columns – some of the fibers
will reach the yield stress and some will
not. The members will fail by both yielding
and buckling, and their behaviour is said to
be inelastic.
COLUMN FORMULAS
• Compressive strength for flexural bucking of members without
slender elements: (NSCP 2015 Section 505.3, AISC Section E3)
𝑃𝑛 = 𝐹𝑐𝑟 𝐴𝑔
𝜑c = 0.90 (LRFD) and Ωc = 1.67 (ASD)
The flexural buckling stress Fcr is determined as
follows:
𝐾𝐿 𝐸
a) If ≤ 4.71 (or 𝐹𝑒 ≥ 0.44𝐹𝑦 )
𝑟 𝐹𝑦
𝑭𝒚
𝑭𝒄𝒓 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟓𝟖 𝑭𝒆 𝑭𝒚
𝐾𝐿 𝐸
b) If > 4.71 (or 𝐹𝑒 < 0.44𝐹𝑦 )
𝑟 𝐹𝑦
𝑭𝒄𝒓 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟕𝟕𝑭𝒆
Where Fe is the elastic critical buckling stress
(Euler stress):
𝝅𝟐 𝑬
𝑭𝒆 = 𝟐
𝑲𝑳
𝒓
COMPRESSION ELEMENTS
• Stiffened – supported along the edges
• Unstiffened – one free edge
CLASSIFICATION OF SECTIONS FOR LOCAL BUCKLING
• Compact
• Non-compact
• Slender – element sections
Note: NSCP 2015, Table 502.4.1 (Table 5-1, p.254, Aghayere
and Vigil 3rd Ed),
NSCP 2015, Section 505.7 Members with Slender
Elements