Axial load capacity: Axial load capacity of the column = yield stress of steel in compression x cross-sectional area of column

In practice, the failure load of steel columns is associated with buckling; this is related to the column slenderness. In columns of practical proportions failure occurs well before the crushing strength of steel is reached. As the compressive stress is gradually increased, a value is reached at which the column, instead of just axially shortening in length, buckles and deforms perpendicular to its axis. This value of load is called the buckling load. When a column has reached its buckling load it has effectively failed as a structural element and is incapable of sustaining the load. The aim of column design, therefore, is to predict the load at which the column may collapse and to ensure that there is always an adequate factor of safety compared with the applied load.

Compressive capacity of steel: Steel is generally defined by tensile strength. Is the compressive capacity the same as the tensile capacity because steel is a homogeneous substance? Steel is more or less a linear elastic material. Unlike concrete, which is much weaker in tension than in compression, steel theoretically responds the same way in either tension or compression. However, with enough applied force, steel and other metals will cease to behave elastically and begin to behave plastically. When a material is linearly elastic, its deformation, or strain, will be directly proportional to the applied force and it will return to its original shape when the force is removed. A plastic material, on the other hand, will permanently deform without breaking (think of taffy or perhaps the stringiness of melted mozzarella cheese on a pizza). In real life, of course, there is no such thing as a perfectly elastic or plastic material. In the case of steel, structural engineers are concerned about the tensile strength in terms of both the ultimate strength and the yield strength. When a specimen reaches its yield strength, it will begin to stretch and transition from elastic to plastic behavior. As more force is applied, the steel will reach its ultimate tensile strength and break. Structural engineers take advantage of this property in their designs. In an extreme event, such as an earthquake or major structural failure, this plastic phase is useful because it allows the structure to sag and absorb extra loads. If steel is too brittle, it will shatter instead of stretching, possibly causing the structure to come crashing down. In either case, the structure is ruined, but the plastic behavior of the steel allows time for escape. In compression, steel can still behave plastically. Think about how a coin looks when it is run over by a train. This property allows metals such as steel to be pressed into things like car bodies. However, in some compressive situations, shear forces can also develop inside the specimen. While steel behaves equally under tension and compression, depending on the type of steel, it can be substantially weaker under shearing loads. In this case, the steel may suffer a shear failure before reaching an ultimate compressive strength.

Slenderness ratio: The ratio of the effective length of a column to the least radius of gyration of its cross section is called the slenderness ratio (sometimes expressed with the Greek letter lambda, ). This ratio affords a means of classifying columns. Slenderness ratio is important for design considerations. All the following are approximate values used for convenience. A short steel column is one whose slenderness ratio does not exceed 50; an intermediate length steel column has a slenderness ratio ranging from about 50 to 200, and are dominated by the strength limit of the material, while a long steel column may be assumed to have a slenderness ratio greater than 200. A short concrete column is one having a ratio of unsupported length to least dimension of the cross section not greater than 10. If the ratio is greater than 10, it is a long column (sometimes referred to as a slender column).

Engineering Section Properties Tube/Pipe Calculator Description Moment of Inertia = I Section Modulus = Z = I/y Radius of Gyration Equation

A = area y = Distance to neutral axis D/2

Engineering Section Properties Tube/Pipe Calculator Variables Inputs: "D" (O.D.) "d" (I.D.) = =

Properties: Moment of Inertia (Units4) Section Modulus (Units3) Radius of Gyration (Units) Extreme Point (Units) Area (Units2) = = = = =

Conversion: 1 megapascal = 10.197 162 13 kilogram-force/square centimeter 1 megapascal = 0.101 971 621 3 kilogram-force/square millimeter 1 kilopascal = 0.010 197 162 13 kilogram-force/square centimeter 1 kilopascal = 0.000 101 971 621 3 kilogram-force/square millimeter Value of E for Steel = 200Gpa = 2.0 x 106 kg/cm2