TABLE OF CONTENTS Most structures contain compression members and in many cases the failure of one of these members may result in the loss of the whole or of significant parts of the structure. Therefore extensive studies concerning the stability problems of columns and beam-columns have been conducted since Euler's pioneer work on elastic buckling of column presented in 1759. Improved design practice through the transfer of these research results to the design codes or specifications has resulted. This chapter will review briefly the state-of-the-art of design methodology of columns and beam-columns.
Although in an actual situation, the behavior of a column or a beam-column in a structure is not restricted within a plane, most studies and design specifications, however, treat it as an in-plane column. This is not only for simplicity, but also because in-plane analysis is usually sufficient for many cases. Such as the case for laterally braced columns or H-columns bent about the weak axis. In this chapter, design concepts of in-plane compression members are presented. Space behavior and design of biaxially loaded columns will be presented in Vol. 2.
As was pointed out in the preceding chapters, the ultimate strength and behavior of a column in a plane can be predicted with good accuracy including initial deformations and residual stresses in elastic-plastic as well as in elastic regime. Research today places more emphasis on the reasonable prediction of magnitude of the initial deformations, and magnitude and pattern of distribution of the residual stresses.
Column design specifications by...
