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Introduction to Concrete Column Design Flow Charts

The Column Design Section in Strunet contains two main parts: Charts to
develop strength interaction diagrams for any given section, and ready -made
Column Interaction Diagrams, for quick design of a given column.

Concrete column is one of the most interes ting members in concrete structural
design application. A structural design of a concrete column is quite complicated
procedures. Evaluation, however, of a given column section and reinforcement is
straightforward process. This is due to the fact that pure axial compression is
rarely the case in column analysis. Some value of moment is always there due to
end restraint, or accidental eccentricity due to out of alignment. ACI established
the minimum eccentricity on a concrete column, regardless of the struct ural
analysis proposed for the column, which is defined as the maximum axial
compression load that a column can be designed for.

Column Design Charts in Bullets:

One of the demanding aspects in concrete column design is to define the

controlling points on strength interaction diagram. The column strength
interaction diagram is a curve plot of points; where each point has two ordinates.
The first ordinate is bending moment strength and the second is the
corresponding axial force. Both ordinates are linked with eccentricity. The shape
of the curve, or the strength interaction diagram, can be defined by finding the
ordinates of major seven points. Each point has specific requirement, as
established by the code, and thus evaluating the requirement of this poin t will
result of calculating the ordinates. The points and their respective requirements
are as follows:

• Point 1: Pure compression.

• Point 2: Maximum compression load permitted by code at zero
eccentricity.
• Point 3: Maximum moment strength at the maximum a xial compression
permitted by code.
• Point 4: Compression and moment at zero strain in the tension side
reinforcement.
• Pont 5: Compression and moment at 50% strain in the tension side
reinforcement.
• Point 6: Compression and moment at balanced conditions.
• Point 7: Pure tension.
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Notations for Concrete Column Design Flow Charts

a = depth of equivalent rectangular stress block, in.

ab = depth of equivalent rectangular stress block at balanced
condition, in.
Ag = gross area of column, in 2.
As = area of reinforcement at tension side, in 2 .
A’s = area of reinforcement at compres sion side, in2 .
A’st = Total area of reinforcement in column cross section, in 2 .
b = column width dimension, in.
c = distance from extreme compression fiber to neutral axis, in.
cb = distance from extreme compression fiber to neutral axis at
balanced condition, in.
Cc = compression force in equivalent concrete block.
Cs = compression force in tension-side reinforcement, if any.
C’s = compression force in compression-side reinforcement.
d = distance from extreme compression fiber to centroid of tensi on-
side reinforcement
d’ = distance from extreme compression fiber to centroid of
compression-side reinforcement
e = eccentricity, in.
eb = eccentricity at balanced condition, in.
Es = modulus of elasticity of reinforcement, psi.
f’c = specified compressive strength of concrete, psi.
fy = specified tensile strength of reinforcement, psi.
fs = stress in tension-side reinforcement at strain ε s , ksi.
f’s = stress in compression-side reinforcement at strain ε 's , ksi.
h = overall column depth, in.
Mb = nominal bending moment at balanced condition.
Mn = nominal bending moment at any point.
Po = nominal axial load strength at zero eccentricity.
Pb = nominal axial force at balanced condition.
Plim = limit of nominal axial load value at which low or h igh axial
compression can be defined in accordance with ACI 9.3.2.2.
Pn = nominal axial load strength at any point.
T = tension force in tension-side reinforcement.
β? = factor as defined by ACI 10.2.7.3.
εs = strain in tension-side reinforcement at calculated stress fs
ε 's = strain in compression-side reinforcement at calculated stress f’s
εy = yield strain of reinforcement.
φ = strength reduction factor
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Main Points of Column Interaction Diagram

3
max. axial comp. ε s=0.0
Axial Compression, φ Pn

2
ε s=0.5εy
5

6 comp.
control
balanced
tension consistent φ
control

increasing φ
pure tension
Bending Moment, φ M n 7

Point 1: axial compression at zero moment.

Point 2: maximum permissible axial compression at zero eccentricit.
Point 3: maximum moment strength at maximum permissible axial compression.
Point 4: axial compression and moment strength at zero strain.
Point 5: axial compression and moment strength at 50% strain.
Point 6: axial compression and moment strength at balanced conditions.
Point 7: moment strength at zero axial force.

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 STRUNET
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Point 1: Axial Compression at Zero Moment

Point 2: Maximum Permissible Axial Compression at Zero Eccentricity

Finding Point 1

ACI 10.3.5.1

Ast ,Ag ,fc′,fy Po = 0.85fc′ ( Ag − Ast ) + fy Ast

Finding Point 2

Spiral?

Pn (max) = 0.80Po Pn (max) = 0.85Po

ACI 9.3.2.2 ACI 9.3.2.2

φ = 0.70 φ = 0.75

φPn (max) = 0.56Po φPn (max) = 0.64Po

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 Strength Reduction Factor
STRUNET ACI 9.3.2.2
CONCRETE DESIGN AIDS

finding φ

Axial Tension and Axial Compression

Axial Tension with and Axial
Flexure Compression with
Flexure

φ = 0.90 0.10fc′Ag
PL =
φ

Spiral?

φ = 0.70 φ = 0.75

PL = 0.143fc′Ag PL = 0.133fc′Ag

Pn

PL > Pn

High Values of Axial

Compression Low Values of Axial
Compression

Spiral

φ = 0.70 φ = 0.75
• fy ≤ 60 ksi
• h − d ′ − ds ≤ 0.70h
• Symmetric reinf.
Spiral?
Spiral?

PL = min(0.143fc′Ag , Pb ) PL = min(0.133fc′Ag , Pb ) 0.2Pn 0.15Pn

φ = 0.9 − φ = 0.9 −
PL PL

0.2Pn 0.15Pn
φ = 0.9 − φ = 0.9 −
PL PL

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 Point 3: Maximum Moment Strength
at Maximum Permissible Compression
STRUNET ACI 10.2.7.3
CONCRETE DESIGN AIDS
fc′ ≤ 4000 psi

 fc′ − 4000  β1 = 0.85

β1 = 0.85 − 0.05   ≥ 0.65
 1000 
finding distance c

Cc = 0.85fc′ ( β1c ) b

Cs′ = A's ( fy − 0.85fc′ )

d'
0.003
εs =
( c − d ) 0.003 ε 's C's
c A's
Cc
a
d c
h
fs = εsEs
As Cs
εs
Cs = As ( fs − 0.85fc′ ) ds
b
strain stress

 ( c − d ) 0.003 
Cs = As  Es − 0.85fc′ 
 c 

Pn = Cc + Cs′ + Cs Pn of point 2

 ( c − d ) 0.003 
Pn = 0.85fc′ ( β1c ) b + A's ( fy − 0.85fc′ ) + As  Es − 0.85fc′ 
 c 

Result: c

a = β1c

Compute: Cc , C's from above Eqs.

Mn = 0.5Cc ( h − a) + Cs′ ( 0.5h − d′) − Cs ( 0.5h − ds )

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 Point 4: Axial Compression and Moment at Zero Strain
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Finding Point 4

εs = 0.0

c =d

a = β1c See Finding β 1 in point 3

Cc = 0.85fc′ab

 c − d′  d' 0.003
ε s′ =   0.003
 c  ε 's C's
A's a Cc
c=d
fs′ = min(εs′Es ,fy ) h
As
T=0.0
Cs′ = As′ ( fs′ − 0.85fc′ ) 0.0
b strain stress

Pn = Cc + Cs′

h a h 
Mn = Cc  −  + Cs′  − d ′ 
 2 2 2 

Mn
e=
Pn

φMn & φPn See finding φ

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 Finding Point 5
Point 5: Axial Compression and
Moment Strength at 50% Strain
STRUNET fy
CONCRETE DESIGN AIDS
εy =
Es d' 0.003
ε 's C's
A's a Cc
εs = 0.5ε y c
h
  As
 d  T
c =  ε s=0.5ε y
 1 + ε s 
 0.003  b strain stress

a = β1c See Finding β 1 in point 3

Cc = 0.85fc′ab

 c − d′ 
ε s′ =   0.003
 c 

fs′ = min(εs′Es ,fy )

Cs′ = As′ ( fs′ − 0.85fc′ )

T = As ( 0.5fy )

Pn = Cc + Cs′ −T

h a h   h
Mn = Cc  −  + Cs′  − d ′  + T  d − 
 2 2 2   2

Mn
e=
Pn

φMn & φPn See finding φ

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STRUNET Point 6: Axial Compression and Moment
CONCRETE DESIGN AIDS
Finding Point 6 Strength at Balanced Conditions

fy
εs = ε y =
Es

 0.003 
cb =   0.003
 0.003 + ε
 y 

ab = β1cb See Finding β 1 in point 3

Cc = 0.85fc′abb

d' 0.003
 c − d′  ε 's C's
εs′ =  b s  0.003
 cb  A's c a Cc

h
fs′ = min(εs′Es ,fy )
As
T
ε y=fy /Es
Cs = As′ ( fs′ − 0.85fc′ ) strain
b stress

T = fy As

Pb = Cc + Cs −T

h a  h   h
Mb = Cc  − b  + Cs  − d ′  + T  d − 
2 2  2   2

Mb
eb =
Pb

φMn & φPn See finding φ

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STRUNET Point 7: Moment Strength at Zero Axial Force
CONCRETE DESIGN AIDS

Finding Point 7
d' 0.003
a Cc
c
Cc = 0.85fc′ab A's
ε 's~0.0

h
T = fy As As
T
ε s>ε y
Asfy b strain stress
a=
0.85fc′b

a
c= See Finding β 1 in point 3
β1

 0.003 
εs =   d − 0.003 > ε y
 c 

Cc = 0.85fc′abb

T = fy As

h a  h
Mn = Cc  −  + T  d − 
 2 2  2

φ = 0.9 See finding φ

φ Mn

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