A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that

transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural
elements below.

The behavior of columns depend on 3 main factors.

1.
1. The unsupported height of the column.
2. The type of its connectivity.
3. Span of the beam on which it supports.

Effective Length
Basically length of column can be said as vertical distance between two floors or
between two tie levels. According to structural point of view length of column is the
distance between two points where a column gets its fixity of support so its movement is
restrained in all directions.

o While a column height is the floor to floor distance, the effective length of a
column depends on the type of support conditions the column is subjected to.
o The effective column length can be defined as the length of an equivalent pin-
ended column having the same load-carrying capacity as the member under
consideration. The smaller the effective length of a particular column, the smaller
its danger of lateral buckling and the greater its load carrying capacity.

Slenderness Ratio
In structural engineering, slenderness is a measure of the propensity of a column to
buckle. It is defined as where is the effective length of the column and is the least radius
of gyration, the latter defined by where is the area of the cross-section of the column
and is the second moment of area of the cross-section.

o In structural engineering, slenderness is a measure of the propensity of a column
to buckle.
o It is defined as where is the effective length of the column and is the least radius
of gyration.
o Defined by where is the area of the cross-section of the column and is the
second moment of area of the cross-section.

Short Column
The column, whose least lateral dimension is very large when compared to its
unsupported height, it generally fails by crushing.
When the ratio of the effective length of the column to its least lateral dimension is less
than 12

CS = E f f e c t i v e l e n g t h ( L e ) L e a s t l a t e r a l dim .< 12
Long Column
The column, whose least lateral dimension is very small when compared to its
unsupported height, it generally fails by buckling.
When the ratio of the effective length of the column to its least lateral dimension is
exceeds 12

CL = E f f e c t i v e l e n g t h ( L e ) L e a s t l a t e r a l dim .> 12

Failure in columns

Column failure by buckling Column fai

 Difference between Long Column and Short Column
Long Column Sho
Height / Least dimension > 12 Height / Least dimension < 12
Load carrying capacity is less Load carrying capacity is more.
Weaker than short column Stronger than long column
Subjected to buckling stress Subjected to compressive axial s
Failure due to buckling Failure due to crushing
Buckling in Colums

Buckled shape
of column

Pinned ends Fixed and free end Fixed ends

Theoretical
K value
K=2
 K=1 (b) K = 0.5
(a) (c)

Recommended
K=1 K = 2.1 K = 0.65
K value