ECS 559

REINFORCED CONCRETE DESIGN

Chapter 4:
SLENDER COLUMN DESIGN
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

LEARNING OUTCOME (WEEK 9):

By completing this chapter, students shall be able to:

1.0 Determine the slenderness of a column.

2.0 Determine the maximum design moment for slender

column.

3.0 Design braced and unbraced slender columns and

provide detailing.
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

COLUMN (CL 3.8)

Introduction
Columns are structural members in buildings carrying roof and
floor loads to the foundations & therefore there are
primarily compression members.

Columns may carry axial load as well as moment due to the

continuity of the structure.

Column section is generally square or rectangular or circular,

however irregular shape of column used in special cases.

The size of a column and the position of the reinforcement in

it may be affected by the requirements for durability and
fire resistance, and these should be considered before the
design is commenced.
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

Column Definition
Clause 9.5 in EN1992-1-1 deals with columns for which the larger
dimension h is not greater than 4 times the smaller dimension b.

Minor Axis
(y-y)

Major
Axis (x-x)

h > 4b
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

Braced & Unbraced Column

Braced Column Unbraced Column

Lateral loads are No shear wall or bracing.
resisted by shear walls Lateral loads are
or bracing. resisted directly by
columns in bending action.

Design axial forces and Design axial forces and

moments are due to moments are due to dead
dead load and load, imposed load and
imposed load only. lateral loads.
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

Effective Height, le
Chapter 1 :
Reinforced Concrete Design – Short Column

Slenderness ratio of a column, 

• The  of a column bent about an axis is given by

(bh³/12)

• If the actual > limit , the column is slender.

Limiting slenderness ratio – short or slender columns
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

Failure Mode
Short Column Slender Column
Failure Mode

Usually fail Liable to fail

by crushing. by buckling.

www.world-
gees.usc.edu/.../Report/Damage/
housing.net/whereport1view.php?id=1...
Bhuj/140835.jpg
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

Column with both end is pinned

B2
B1 200x500

B1
B2 200x600

Lox & Loy?

B2
B1

B2 B1
Chapter 4 :
Reinforced Concrete Slender Column

Example: y

B2 x

B1 200x500
y
B1
B2 200x600 Beam size 200 x 600 perpendicular to x-x axis.

L =7000

Loy=6500
Lox=6400
B2
B1

B2 B1
Lox Loy
Beam size 200 x 500 perpendicular to y-y axis
Chapter 1 :
Reinforced Concrete Design – Short Column

Main Reinforcement & Link

1. Longitudinal steel
- A min four (4) bars is required in a rectangular column and six
(6) in a circular column

- The size of bars should not be less than 12mm

- The min. area of steel, As,min = 0.10Ned/fyd or 0.002Ac
- The max. area of steel, As,max = 0.08Ac at laps or
As,max = 0.04Ac in regions away from laps.
Chapter 1 :
Reinforced Concrete Design – Short Column

2. Links
- Min size = ¼ x size of the largest compression bar but not
less than 6mm
- Max spacing = 20 x size of smallest dia. of compression bar

Page 364 (equation (8.63)

εyd = fyd/Es, where Es = modulus of steel (200 x 10³ N/mm²)
fyd = fyk/1.15 = 0.87 fyk
Page 323 (equation 8.10)
fcd = αcc fck/γc where αcc = 0.85, γc = 1.5
= 0.85 fck/1.5
= 0.567 fck
 Slenderness of columns
20
.A.B
.C
lo lo λ =
lim
λ= = n
i (I/A c)
i = radius of gyration about the axis considered
I = second moment of area of the section about the axis
Ac = cross-sectional area of column

Effective length, lo

fixed / fixed l o = 0 .75 l

pinned / fixed l o = 0 .9 l
partially fixed / fixed l o = 0 .8 l
pinned / partially fixed l = 0 .95 l
partially fixed / partially fixed l o = 0 .85 l
pinned / pinned lo = l rm = 1 rm = 0 rm = -1
C = 0.7 C = 1.7 C = 2.7
If λ < λlim
Column is not slender and second-order moments can be ignored
 Design moments
• Must allow for imperfections
NEd
Mtop

ei =
l0 In example shown,
400

M=
M
02 +M
topi

M=
01 M
i

emin = h/20 (UK) or 20 mm

M i = N Ed e min Mbot
[clause 5.2 (9)]
 Short column design
Truly axially loaded column:
Nud = 0.567 fck Ac + 0.87 Asfyk

But generally must design for minimum moment,

so:
NEd = 0.567 fck Ac + fscA’s + fs As

MEd = Fcc (h/2-s/2) + Fsc (h/2 – d’) – Fs (d-h/2)

Solve: design charts; iteration; approximate method

 Design charts:
IStructE
www.eurocode2.info
b

d2

N Ed
b h fck

MEd
b h2 fck
+ 23 KNm

- 8.8 KNm
 Slenderness of columns
20
.A
.B
.C
l
λ=o =
lo λ =
lim
i (I/A
c)
n
i = radius of gyration about the axis considered
I = second moment of area of the section about the axis
Ac = cross-sectional area of column

Effective length, l
o

fixed / fixed l o = 0 .75 l

pinned / fixed l o = 0 .9 l
partially fixed / fixed l o = 0 .8 l
pinned / partially fixed l = 0 .95 l
partially fixed / partially fixed l o = 0 .85 l
pinned / pinned lo = l

rm = 1 rm = 0 rm = -1
C = 0.7 C = 1.7 C = 2.7
If λ < λ lim
Column is short and design for first order end moments

If λ > λlim Column is slender and design for second order end moments
If the column is short ,calculate :
i) Minimum design moment, M = eoNEd
Where, eo = h/30 > 20mm
Ned = axial load
ii) First order end moment,Mo2 = mo2 + eiNEd
Where, mo2 = larger end moment
ei = θilo/2 = (1/200)lo/2
lo = effective length of column
Select the highest moment between (i) and (ii)
If the column is slender ,calculate second order end
moments:
• Mo2 = mo2 + eiNEd
Where, mo2 = larger end moment
ei = θilo/2 = (1/200)lo/2
lo = effective length of column
ii) MoEd + M2
MoEd = 0.6Mo2 + 0.4Mo1 > 0.4Mo2
Mo1 = mo1 + eiNEd
Mo2 = mo2 + eiNEd
M2 = NEde2 where, e2 = (1/r)(lo)²/10
iii)Mo1 + 0.5M2
Therefore the design moment is highest moment
between (i), (ii) and (iii)
 y

300 mm 80 KNm

x x
400 mm

8.5 m

40 KNm
 SOLUTION
1. Calculate effective height of column, lo

lo = 6905 mm

2. Calculate radius of gyration, i

i = 116 mm
3. Calculate slenderness ratio, λactual

l lo
λ=o =
i (
I/A
c)
λactual = 60

4. Calculate critical slenderness ratio, λ lim

20
.A
.B.
C
λ =
lim
n
A = 0.852, B = 1.1, C = 2.2, n = 0.63

λlim = 52

λactual = 60 > λlim = 52 (Therefore column is slender column)

Column need to be designed for second order moment.

4. Calculate minimum design moments, MEd

Minimum eccentricity , eo = h/30 = 400/30 = 13.3 mm < 20mm

Minimum design moments, MEd = eo NED = 20 x 1500/1000 = 30 KNm

5. Calculate first order end moments, Mo1, Mo2

Eccentricity, ei = θilo = 1/200 x 6905/2 = 17.3 mm
2
ei NEd = 17.3 x 1500/1000 = 26 KNm
Mo1 = Mc + eiNEd = -40 + 26 = - 14 KNm
Mo2 = Mt + eiNEd = 80 + 26 = 106 KNm
6. Calculate equivalent first order end moments, MoEd
MoEd = M0e = (0.6Mo2 + 0.4Mo1) > 0.4Mo2
= 0.6 x 106 + 0.4 x (-14) > 0.4 x 106
= 58 KNm > 42.4 KNm
7. Calculate effective depth of column, d
d = 400 – 25 – 6 – 12/2 = 363 mm

8. Calculate deflection, e2
1/rº = εyd/0.45d
Design yield strain of reinforcement, εyd = fyd/Es = fyk/Es = fyk/1.15Es
fyd = design yield strength of the reinforcement
Es = young modulus of steel = 200,000 N/mm²
Design yield strain of reinforcement, εyd = 500/(1.15x 200 x 1000)
= 0.00217
1/rº = εyd/0.45d = 0.00217/(0.45 x 363) = 1.33 x 10¯
β = 0.35 + fck/200 – λactual/150
= 0.35 + 0.175 - 0.4
= 0.125
Kø = 1 + βφef > 1.0
= 1 + 0.125 x 0.87 > 1.0
= 1.11 > 1.0
Assume Kr = 0.8
1/r = Kr Kø (1/rº) = 0.8 x 1.11 x 1.33 x 10¯ = 1.22 x 10¯
e2 = (1/r)lo²/10
= 1.22 x 10¯ x (6905)²/10
= 58.2 mm
M2 = NEd.e2 = 1500 x 58.2 /1000
= 87.3 KNm
9. Calculate design moment
i) Mo2 = 106 KNm
ii) MoEd + M2 = 58 KNm + 87.3 KNm = 145.3 KNm
iii)Mo1 + 0.5M2 = -14 KNm + (0.5 x 87.3) = 29.7 KNm
Therefore the Design moment (highest moment) = 145.3 KNm.

10. Calculate area of steel

d/h = 363/400 = 0.9, use d/h = 0.85
N/bhfck = 1500 x 1000/(300 x 400 x 35) = 0.4
M/bh²fck = 145.3 /(300 x 400² x 35) = 0.1
From graf , Asfyk/bhfck = 0.18
As = 0.18 x 300 x 400 x 35/500
= 1512 mm²
Provide 4H25 (As = 1960 mm²)
11. Check assume value of Kr
fyd = fyk/1.15 = 0.87fyk
fcd = 0.85fck/1.5 = 0.567fck
nu = 1 + Asfyd/Acfcd
= 1 + 1960 x 0.87 x 500
300 x 400 x 0.567 x 35
= 1.36
n = NEd/Acfcd = 1500 x 1000/(300 x 400 x 0.567 x 35)
= 0.63
Kr = nu – n/(nu – nbal)
nbal = 0.4 (constant)
Kr = 1.36 – 0.63/(1.36 – 0.4)
= 0.73/0.96
= 0.76 < 1.0
Therefore assume value of Kr = 0.8 is acceptable and the area of steel
(4H25 = 1960 mm²) can be used
12. Check As(min)

i.) As min = 0.1NEd/0.87fyk = 344 mm²

ii) As min = 0.002Ac = 270 mm²
Provided 4H25 (As = 1960 mm²) > 344 mm² and 270 mm² - OK
13. Calculate links
Diameter of link should greater than ;
i) 6 mm diameter
ii) ø/4 = 25/4 = 6.25 mm
Therefore provide 8mm diameter.
Spacing of link :
i) 20ø = 20 x 25 = 500 mm
ii) Least dimension of column = 300 mm
iii) 400 mm
Therefore provide link H8 – 300mm center to center
14. Sketch detailing
 EXERCISE 1
Check whether the column is slender or short. Determine the longitudinal
reinforcement and link required in column in a non sway structure as shown in
figure below. Given data : fck = 25N/mm², fyk = 500 N/mm², concrete cover = 25mm,
assuming Ølink = 6mm, Ømain bar = 12mm, creep coefficient = 0.87. Sketch
y
the column detail.
400 mm

x x
300 mm

2000 KN
y

150 KNm

9m

75 KNm