Structural Design for the Stage

9

Steel Column Analysis and Design

INTRODUCTION

The fundamental theories of column design were discussed in the introduction to Chapter 6, Wood Column Analysis and Design. Regardless of the material from which a column is made, the actual compressive stress must be less than the allowable compressive stress. Unlike steel beam design, the basic approach to column design remains constant for most shapes. The exception is single-angle members, whose allowable compressive stress must be reduced to account for “local buckling” characteristics. This chapter will therefore describe the essentials of column design, and then the design of single-angle columns.

SLENDERNESS RATIO CRITERIA FOR STEEL COLUMNS

Although columns are usually vertical, the following ...