Chapter

Reinforced Concrete Design

theory and examples
9 Presented by:
Mohamed Abdirahman Ahmed (Eng. fitah)

Columns
 Reference Book
Chapter 9
Reinforced Concrete Design

Reinforced Concrete
Design
Prab Bhatt, Thomas J.MacGinley

and Ban Seng Choo

Presented by : Mohamed Abdirahman Ahmed (Eng. fitah), Faculty of Civil Engineering,

1-2
 Chapter review
• Columns act as vertical supports to beams and
slabs, and to transmit the loads to the
foundations.

• Columns are primarily compression members,

although they may also have to resist bending
moment transmitted by beams.

• Columns may be classified as short or slender,

braced or unbraced depending on various
dimensional and structural factors.
Chapter review
Chapter review
 Chapter review
• Common column cross sections are:
(a) Square
(b) Circular
(c) Rectangular section.

• The greatest dimension should not exceed four

times its smaller dimension. (h≤4b) – Clause 3.8.1

• For h>4b, the member should be regarded as a

wall for design purpose.
Chapter review

Column Sections

Compression
Buckling
failure
 Chapter review
The basic purpose of column is used to transfer the loads
in a vertical direction to the foundation. Columns can be
categorized into two types based on the lateral restrained.
Such as
1. Braced Column
2. Unbraced Column

Braced Column –
A column may be considered braced in a given plane if
lateral stability to the structure as a whole is provided by
walls or bracing (Clause 3.8.1.5)

Unbraced Column –
It should otherwise be considered as unbraced. It means if
there is no lateral strains then which column is considered
as unbraced column(Clause 3.8.1.5)
Braced and unbraced columns (Clause
3.8.1.5, BS 8110 – Part: 01, 1997)
Braced and unbraced columns (Clause
3.8.1.5, BS 8110 – Part: 01, 1997)
Braced column
Unbraced column
 Braced – Short column: Clause 3.8.1.3
• A braced column is classified as being short if:
• Acolumn may be considered as short when both
the ratios lex/h and ley/b are less than 15
(braced)
 Unbraced – Short column: Clause 3.8.1.3
• A column may be considered as short when both the
ratios lex/h and ley/b are less than 10 (unbraced). It
should otherwise be considered as Slender.

• Short – both lex/h and ley/b < 15 for braced columns

< 10 for unbraced columns

• Braced - If lateral stability to structure as a whole is

provided by walls or bracing designed to resist all lateral
forces in that plane then it is braced column

• Or else – Unbraced
Effective height of column (Clause - 3.8.1.6,
BS 8110 – Part: 01, 1997)
• The effective height, le of a column in a given
plane may be obtained from the following
equation:

Where β is a coefficient depending on the fixity at

the column ends and lo is the clear height of the
columns.

• Effective height for a column in two plane

directions may be different.
 Effective height of column (Clause -3.8.1.6,
BS 8110 – Part: 01, 1997)
β for braced column can be obtained from Table 3.19

β for unbraced column can be obtained fromTable 3.20

 End conditions (Clause 3.8.1.6.2, BS1997)
End condition 1 – The end of the column is connected
monolithically to beams on either side which are at least as
deep as the overall dimension of the column in the plane
considered. Where the column is connected to foundation, it
should be designed to carry moment.
 End conditions (Clause 3.8.1.6.2, BS1997)
• End condition 2 – The end of column is connected
monolithically to beams or slabs on either side which are
shallower than the overall dimension of the column in
the plane considered.
 End conditions (Clause 3.8.1.6.2, BS1997)
• End condition 3 – The end of the column is connected
to members which, while not specifically designed to
provide restraint to rotation of the column will
nevertheless, provide some nominal restraint.
 End conditions (Clause 3.8.1.6.2, BS1997)
• End condition 4 –
The end of the column is unrestrained against both lateral
movement and rotation (e.g. the free end of a cantilever column in
an unbraced structure)
 Example
Determine the classification of braced column which is
shown in the figure below as short Column?
 Answer
Data’s: b = 250, h = 350 and Find the effective height.
 Reinforcement details: longitudinal reinforcement
(Clause 3.12.5.3, BS 8110)
1. Size and minimum number of bars – bar size should not be
less than 12 mm in diameter. Rectangular column should
reinforced with minimum 4 bars; circular column should
reinforced with minimum 6 bars.
2. The longitudinal reinforcement should not exceed the
following amounts, calculated as percentages of the
gross cross-sectional area of the concrete: (Clause
3.12.6.2)
a) vertically-cast columns: 6 %;
b) horizontally-cast columns: 8 %;
c) laps in vertically- or horizontally-cast columns: 10 %.
3. Spacing of reinforcement – the minimum distance between
adjacent bars should not be less than the diameter of the
bar or hagg + 5 mm.
Reinforcement details – links (Clause 3.12.7.1, BS 8110)

• The axial loading on the column may cause buckling

of the longitudinal reinforcement and subsequent
cracking and spalling of concrete cover.
• Links are passing round the bars to prevent buckling.
Reinforcement details – links (Clause 3.12.7.1, BS 8110)
1. Size and spacing of links – the diameter of the link
should be at least one quarter of the largest
longitudinal bar size or minimum 6 mm. The
maximum spacing is 12 times of the smallest
longitudinal bar.
2. Arrangement of links
Theoretical strength of reinforced concrete
column

The equation is derived on the assumption that the axial load

is applied perfectly at the centre of the column.
 Short column design
The short column are divided into three categories:
1. Columns resisting axial load only
B2 Column will resist an axial load only, as it supports
beams equal in length and symmetrically arranged.
Clause 3.8.4.3 Nominal eccentricity of short columns
resisting moments and axial force
• To allow for nominal eccentricity, BS 8110 reduce the
theoretical axial load capacity by about 10%.
• Short columns usually need only to be designed for the
maximum design moment about the one critical axis.
Where, due to the nature of the structure, a column
cannot be subjected to significant moments, it may be
designed so that the design ultimate axial load does not
exceed the value of N given by:

• Design maximum axial load capacity of short column is

given in the above.
Clause 3.8.4.3 Nominal eccentricity of short columns
resisting moments and axial force
• Normally short columns only require to be designed for
the maximum moment about one critical axis in addition
to the axial load.
• In the case of a column supporting e.g. a rigid structure
or very deep beams, where it cannot be subjected to
significant moments, they may be designed in accordance
with Clause 3.8.4.3
 Example - Axially loaded column
Ashort, braced column is subjected to an ultimate applied axial load
of 3000 kN and a nominal moment only. Using the design data given:
1. Check that the column is short
2. Determine the required area of main reinforcement
3. Determine the suitable links
Answer - Axially loaded column
Answer - Axially loaded column
 2. Column supporting an approximately
symmetrical arrangement of beams
 C2 Column supports a symmetrical arrangement of
beams but which are unequal in length.
 If
A. The loadings on the beam are uniformly distributed,
B. the beam spans do not differ by more than 15
percent
the column belongs to category 2 as shown in
figure below
2. Columnsupporting an approximately
symmetrical arrangement of beams

C2 Column supports a symmetrical arrangement of

beams but which are unequal in length.
 Clause 3.8.4.4 Short braced columns supporting an
approximately symmetrical arrangement of beams
• The column is subjected to axial and small moment
when it supports approximately symmetrical
arrangement of beams:
• The design ultimate axial load for a short column of this
type may be calculated using the following equation:
 Clause 3.8.4.4 Short braced columns supporting an
approximately symmetrical arrangement of beams
• A reduction from the equation given in Clause 3.8.4.3 is
given to allow for moments which will arise from a
symmetrical loading on symmetrical beams and is given
in Clause 3.8.4.4 in the following equation:
3. Columns resisting axial loads and uniaxial or
biaxial bending
 If the column does not meet criteria (A) then the
column belongs to category 3.

 Acolumn is considered
uniaxial loaded
D C
when the bending occurs
about the X or Y
axes, such as in the case of
the side columns B
3. Columns resisting axial loads and uniaxial or biaxial
bending
 If the column does not meet criteria (A) then the
column belongs to category 3.

 Acolumn is considered
uniaxial loaded
when the bending occurs
about the X or Y
axes, such as in the case of
the side columns B
3. Columns resisting axial loads and uniaxial or biaxial
bending
 If the column does not meet criteria (a) and (b), then
the column belongs to category 3.

 Acolumn is considered
biaxially loaded
C
when the bending occurs
about the X and Y
axes, such as in the case of
the corner column C
 Column resisting an axial load and biaxial bending

• The columns are subjected to an

axial and bending moment in
both x and y directions.
• The columns with biaxial
moments are simplified into the
columns with uniaxial moment
by increasing the moment about
one of the axes then design the
reinforcement according the
increased moment.
 Column resisting an axial load and biaxial
bending (clause 3.8.4.5, BS 8110)
Symmetrically-reinforced
rectangular sections may be
designed to withstand an
increased moment about one axis
given by the following equations:
 Column resisting an axial load and uniaxial bending
• For column resisting axial load and bending moment at one
direction, the area of longitudinal reinforcement is
calculated using design charts in Part 3 BS8110.
• The design charts are available for columns having a
rectangular cross section and symmetrical arrangement of
reinforcement.
• Design charts are derived based on yield stress of 460
N/mm2 for reinforcement steel but the area of
reinforcement obtained will be approximately 10% greater
than required.
• Design charts are available for concrete grades – 25, 30,
35, 40, 45 and 50.
• The d/h ratios are in the range of 0.75 to 0.95 in 0.05
increment.
D C
D C
D C
D C
D C
 D C

• Finish the example using design charts

 The End ...
Any questions