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APPENDIX A COLUMN BASE STIFFNESS

According to Section 5.2.3.3 of ENV 199311, analysis should take account of
the rotational stiffness of the bases. To avoid soil mechanics calculations, the
following rules from modern UK practice are suitable. However, these might not
be known or accepted in other countries and the relevant National Application
Document and the local regulatory authorises should be consulted.
It is important to distinguish between column base resistance and column base
stiffness. Column base resistance is only relevant to elastic-plastic or rigid-plastic
calculations of frame resistance, not to deflections. Column base stiffness is
relevant to elastic-plastic or elastic frame analysis for resistance and deflection.
However, the base stiffness can only be included if the column foot and base
details have sufficient resistance to sustain the calculated moments and forces.

A.1

Pinned and rocker bases

Where a true pin or rocker is used, the rotational stiffness is zero.

A.2

Fixed bases

Bases considered as fixed are not infinitely rigid and the rotational stiffness may
conveniently be taken as equal to the column stiffness, as in Clause 5.1.3 of
BS59501[3] and Advisory Note AD097 Nominal base stiffness[22]. This means that
the base may be modelled as a spring with rotational stiffness of 4EIcolumn/Lcolumn.
If the program cannot accept a rotational spring, the simplest solution is to add a
dummy member, continuous with the column and pinned at the far end, of stiffness
EIcolumn and of length 0,75 Lcolumn (to allow for the pinned end which reduces the
stiffness) (Figure A.1).

L Column

Column

Column

Column

Column

0.75L Column

0.75L Column

Figure A.1 Alternative modelling of fixed base flexibility

Note that the reaction at the pinned end of the dummy member will affect the
reaction at the column base. This must be corrected by taking the base reaction
equal to the axial force in the column, which equals the sum of the reactions at the
base and the pinned end of the dummy member.

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P164: Design of steel portal frames for Europe

A.3

Nominally pinned bases

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A.3.1 Ultimate limit state

Most simple connections from column to base, e.g. an end plate with four holding
down bolts, are not truly pinned but have some rotational stiffness. This may be
taken as 10% of the column stiffness, as in Clause 5.1.3 of BS59501[3], which
means that the base may be modelled as a spring with rotational stiffness of
0,4 Eicolumn / Lcolumn. However, the designer should establish the implications of using
such a base moment because it may have to be included in the foundation design.
If the program cannot accept a rotational spring, the model can be made as in
Section A.2 above but with I of the dummy member equal to 0,1 Icolumn. Note that
the same correction of column base reaction must be made as in Section A.2
above.

A.3.2 Serviceability limit state

For the serviceability limit state, the stiffness may be taken as 20% of the column
stiffness, as in Clause 5.1.3 of BS 59501[3] and Advisory Note AD090 Deflection
limits portal frames[23].

74

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This material is copyright - all rights reserved. Reproduced for IHS Technical Indexes Ltd under licence from The Steel Construction Institute on 15/8/2005

P164: Design of steel portal frames for Europe