Base Plate Design

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Base plates are elements required at the end of columns to distribute the concentrated load of the
column over a much larger area of the material that supports it. The design of column base plates
involves two main considerations: One, spread the load so as to maintain the bearing pressures under
the allowable values, and the second is with the connection, or anchorage, of the base plate and column
to the concrete foundation.

The program performs the elastic design of a column steel base plate resting on a concrete pier and
subjected to any combination of axial load and bending moment, including uplift loading. The moment is
assumed acting about the strong axis of a steel column welded to the plate. In addition, this program
computes and checks the maximum bearing stress on the pier, as well as the tension and shear forces
per rod.
For axially loaded base plates, such as those in frames assumed to be pinned at the base, the program is
based on either the cantilever model or the Thornton method covered in the AISC Manual 13th Edition.

For base plates with moment, two design theories are considered:

a) For plates assumed rigid, the strain compatibility is enforced in accordance with the Blodgett method
("Design of Welded Structures")..

b) For plates assumed flexible, the strain compatibility is ignored in accordance with the DeWolf method
("AISC.Design Guides # 1, Second Edition")

For columns subjected to axial tension or uplift, the Murray method is used. The anchorage is designed
per the latest provisions of the ACI-318 Appendix D "Anchoring to Concrete", and includes checks for all
failure modes in both tension and shear, interaction effects, and reinforcing design. Shear lugs can be
designed as well.

Input Data

The input data required includes the plate, column and pier dimensions, the distance from rods to
center of column, the materials properties and the acting service loads.

Example

As an example, consider a W10x100 steel column designed to resist a bending moment of 40 k-ft and an
axial load of compression of 60 k and a shear force of 10 k, welded to a 17"x17" plate. Design the plate
thickness and check the bearing stresses on a 25"x25" pier. In addition, design the anchorage using
F1554-36 rods.
Output

The plate size is adequate since the maximum bearing stress is 65% of the allowable bearing stress for
that pier. The plate thickness required is 1" and the rod embedment length is 12" with additional
reinforcement. The combined tension-shear stress for the anchor rods is 97% of the allowable value,
therefore the design is correct.

ASDIP generates a graphical view of the designed base plate and the resulting bearing pressures and
anchor rod forces, as shown.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ASDIP Steel modules:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Plates

Steel Columns

Steel & Composite Beams

Try our fully functional demo for 30 days

Download Now

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2011 by ASDIP Structural Software - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

P.O. Box 608723

Orlando, FL 32860

Phone 407-284-9202

E-mail: support@asdipsoft.com