Super Composite Column Design

A Stress-Strain Law for Nonlinear Structural Analysis

Daniel Tian Li, Ph.D., S.E., MIStructE
(Please comments to: dli@engineers-builders.com )
Abstract: Almost all tall building super structure and basement structure of historical building, with super composite column as member of seismic resisting frame, are
designed using linear/nonlinear structural analysis. To determine stress-strain law of super composite column is the most important key for both capacity checks and 3D
nonlinear analysis. This paper presents the design criteria of super composite column, P
n
- M
n
closed surface, and what the different between super composite column
and reinforcing concrete column.
Key Words: Super Composite Column, Nonlinear Analysis, Design Criteria.
1. Super Composite Column & Stress-Strain Law
Super Composite Column (SCC, Figure 1.1 & 1.2) includes the axial and flexure members composed of rolled or built-up heavy structural steel shapes and structural
concrete acting together. Since SCC has high axial capacity, good durability, and small lateral deformation, it is applied to almost all of tall building super structure (more
than 300 ft / 100 m height) and basement structure of historical building. No matter how big the SCC section, if it is a column (AISC 360-05 page 16.1-xliv & ACI 318-08
2.2), only the Plastic Stress Distribution method & Strain-Compatibility method (AISC 360-05 I1.1) can apply. Using the finite element method, including solid elements,
to check the capacity may be inadequate, because the P
n
and M
n
are coupled.
Figure 1.2: SCC of Rolled structural steel W Shape
Figure 1.1: SCC of Built-Up Heavy Steel Shape
The Stress-Strain Law, or relationship between section force and deformation, is the key of Nonlinear Structural Analysis. The Figure 1.3 is a basic elastoplastic relation.
From 0 to 1 is linear response history procedure (ASCE 7, 16.1). After point 1, 1 to 2, 3 and more, may be line or curve, but there are no clearly mentioned on the most
current building codes. The yielding point 1 on Figure 1.3 is changed to a closed curve, a-b-c-d-e-f, on 2D design criteria of reinforcing concrete on Figure 1.4, or a closed
surface on 3D design criteria on Figure 3.1. Even for a pure structural steel frame, the yielding point 1 on Figure 1.3 cannot be only one value, or F
y
, by user input,
because otherwise the code concept of AISC 360-05 H1-1a & H1-1b is totally gone.
Figure 1.3: Basic Elastoplastic Relation Figure 1.4: Design Criteria of Reinforcing Concrete Column (RCC)
The SSC yielding point 1 of Stress-Strain Law on Figure 1.3 should be at the code capacity level (strength design level), not nominal level. The general guideline for the
strain-compatibility method of encased column is given on AISC 360-05 I1.1b, which is referenced to ACI 318-08 10.2 & 10.3. Unless unusual amounts of ductility are
required, the SSC strain, 0.005, limit will provide ductile behavior (ACI 318-08 R10.3.3). The concrete ultimate strain in compression is 0.003 (ACI 318-08 10.3.2).
2. SSC Design Criteria
There are big different for design criteria, P
n
- M
n
interaction, between reinforcing concrete column (RCC) and SSC. The following example (Table 2.1 & Figure 2.1)
presents, step by step, the determination of a SSC capacity curve of P
n
- M
n
interaction.
Table 2.1: Example Input for Figure 1.1
CONCRETE STRENGTH f
c
' = 5 ksi 34.48 N / mm
2
STEEL YIELD STRESS f
y
= 50 ksi 344.75 N / mm
2
COLUMN EFFECTIVE LENGTH KL = 240 ft 73.2 m
CONCRETE SECTION SIZE C
x
= 240 in 6096 mm
C
y
= 125 in 3175 mm
STEEL SECTION SIZE D
x
= 192 in 4877 mm
D
y
= 100 in 2540 mm
t
1
= 2 in 51 mm
t
2
= 1.5 in 38 mm
t
3
= 2 in 51 mm
D
w
= 75 in 1905 mm
FACTORED AXIAL LOAD P
u
= 41000 k 182368 kN
FACTORED MOMENT M
u,x
= 201000 ft-k 272556 kN.m
M
u,y
= 198000 ft-k 268488 kN.m
FACTORED SHEAR LOAD V
u,x
= 1800 k 8006.4 kN Figure 2.1: SSC Distribution of Strain & Stress
V
u,y
= 3200 k 14233.6 kN
Table 2.2: SSC Capacity Curve Values for Figure 2.2
kips kN ft-k kN.m
AT AXIAL LOAD ONLY 0.75 56495 251292 0 0
AT MAXIMUM LOAD 0.75 56495 251292 280135 379863
AT 75% MAXIMUM LOAD 0.75 42372 188469 288599 391340
AT 50% MAXIMUM LOAD 0.7993 28248 125646 310208 420643
AT 25% MAXIMUM LOAD 0.8239 14124 62823 318006 431216
AT FLEXURE ONLY 0.8485 0 0 324117 439503
AT STEEL STRAIN 0.005 0.9 -19869 -88376 339155 459894
AT AXIAL LOAD -39274 k 0.9 -39274 -174693 272057 368910
AT PURE TENSION 0.9 -58680 -261009 0 0
Mn (ft-k), [1 ft-k = 1.356 kN.m]
Figure 2.2: SSC Capacity Curve of P
n
- M
n
interaction.
1. At the critical point of maximum axial section force, the capacity are calculated as follows.
P
max
=
c
P
n
= 56495 kips, (AISC 360-05 I2-2 & I2-3)
M
n
= 0
where
c
= 0.75 (AISC 360-05 I2.1b & ACI 318-08 9.3.2.2) I
c
= 37543603
in
4
A
c
= 28696
in
2
I
s
= 1518897
in
4
A
s
= 1304
in
2
E I
eff
=
ksi-in
4
, (AISC 360-05 I2-6)

P
n

(
k
)
,

[
1

k

=

4
.
4
4
8

k
N
]
72334735452
Pn
Capacity Drawings
Mn
-80000
-60000
-40000
-20000
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000
( )
'
' 2
2
'
'
2 0.85
, 57 , 29000 , (1 6.895 / )
0.85 2 , 0
0.85 ,
,
,
C
C
C
C
C
S
f
ksi ksi N f mm E E c s o
Ec
c c
for f
c o
f o o
for f
c o
for Es s s t
f
for f
s t y

= = = =
(
| | | |
( < < | |
= ( \ \

>

C
1
= 0.187 , (AISC 360-05 I2-7) P
o
= 187158 kips, (AISC 360-05 I2-4)
P
e
= 86072 kips, (AISC 360-05 I2-5)
2. At the critical point of balanced condition, the capacity are calculated as follows.
P
n
= 47302 kips
M
n
= 286405 ft-k
where = 0.75
(AISC 360-05 I2.1b & ACI 318-08 Fig. R9.3.2)
C
b
= d c / (c + s) = 145.6 in
t
= 0.0017
d = 229.3 in, (ACI 318-08 7.7.1) c = 0.003
D = 258.7 in
3. Based on Table 2.3 of summary of SSC critical points of capacity curve, there are following different between RCC and SCC.
3.1 At tensile steel strain 0.005, the SCC axial section force is on tension, not on compression as RCC (Point d on Figure 1.4).
3.2 At balanced condition, the SCC axial section force is larger than steel strain 0.002, so the factor is still 0.75 minimum. But for RCC the should be
between 0.75 and 0.9.
3.3 At flexure only, the SCC axial section force is zero between steel strain 0.002 and 0.005, so the factor is not 0.9 maximum as RCC.
3.4 At tensile steel 50%, 25%, and 0% yielding stress, the SCC axial section force is out-of the maximum capacity, but RCC still less than the maximum
capacity (from b to c on Figure 1.4).
3.5 The concrete ultimate strain in compression, 0.003, governs SCC capacity of flexure only, but tensile steel stain, 0.005, does RCC.
Table 2.3: Summary of SSC Critical Points of Capacity Curve
kips kN ft-k kN.m
AT AXIAL LOAD ONLY 0.75 56495 251292 0 0
AT MAXIMUM LOAD 0.75 56495 251292 280135 379863
AT 0 % TENSION 0.75 103140 458768 181348 245908
AT 25 % TENSION 0.75 87119 387506 229700 311474
AT 50 % TENSION 0.75 72169 321006 260648 353439
AT STEEL STRAIN 0.002 0.75 40521 180237 289208 392166
AT BALANCED CONDITION 0.75 47302 210400 286405 388366
AT STEEL STRAIN 0.005 0.9 -19869 -88376 339155 459894
AT FLEXURE ONLY 0.84851 0 0 324117 439503
4. The SCC cross-sectional area of the steel core shall comprise the following maximum and minimum limitations. The maximum ratio, 8%, is the same with RCC,
because if more than the value, the ACI 318-08 10.2 & 10.3 cannot apply, composite not exists, and the column change to pure structural steel column.

max
= 0.080 (ACI 318-08 10.9)

provd
= 0.043 , actual ratio provided.

min
= 0.010 (AISC 360-05 I2.1a & ACI 318-08 10.9)
5. The shear capacity shall be checked based on, at x direction and at y direction, pure concrete strength and steel section alone (AISC I2.1d & ACI 318-08
11.1 & 11.2). Pure structural steel lateral frame are based on 2D design of AISC 341 and orthogonal moment frames sharing common column are not permitted
by 2010 CBC 2205A.5. Pure reinforcing concrete frame cannot be separated from biaxial loads which cannot comply with ACI 318 Chapter 21.
V
nx
= (V
cx
) >
Vux
(ACI 318-08 11.1.1)

v
V
ny
=
v
(V
ny
) >
Vuy
(AISC 360-05 G2.1)
where = 0.75 (ACI 318-08 9.3.2.3)

v
= 1.00 (AISC 360-05 G2.1)

Pn Mn
Critical Points
Table 2.4: SSC Shear Capacity
A
0
V
c
= 2 (f
c
')
0.5
A
0
V
n
= 0.6 f
y
A
w
C
v
V
n
in mm in
2
mm
2
in
2
mm
2
kips kN kips kN kips kN
x 216 5486 27000 17419320 3818 16984 12738 56659
y 100 2540 550 354838 16500 73392 73392 326448
6. The minimum Stud Shear Connectors (not shown on this paper) are 3/4" @ 12" O.C. in both directions of vertical and horizontal around built-up structural
steel shape (AISC 360-05 I2.1g). The column shall be reinforced, not shown on this paper, with continuous longitudinal bars (
sr
= 0.004 min.), and lateral ties
or spirals at least 0.009 in
2
per inch (AISC 360-05 I2.1a) . [1 in = 25.4 mm, typical above].
3. SSC P
n
- M
n
Closed Surface for Nonlinear Analysis
The Figure 3.1 and 3.2 are SSC P
n
- M
n
closed surface based on Table 2.1 values. If SSC section P
u
and M
u
within the closed surface, the column design is adequate
using linear analysis (ASCE 7-10 12.8, 12.9, & 16.1). Otherwise, the SSC plastic hinge formed and the structural analysis change to nonlinear procedure (ASCE 7-10 16.2).
Figure 3.1: SSC P
n
- M
n
Closed Surface in Isometric View
Figure 3.2: SSC P
n
- M
n
Closed Surface in Planar Views
The SCC, under biaxial bending, may be acceptable as a sharing column of orthogonal seismic lateral frames, because SCC can reach the code requirements of strong
shear weak bending, and strong column weak beam, by separated concert and steel shear capacity, (ACI 318-08 Chapter 21 & AISC 341-05). But to determine SSC
P
n
- M
n
closed surface is the most important for both capacity checks and 3D nonlinear analysis. As shown on Figure 3.1 & 3.2, the minimum flexure capacity curve is
not at bent about minor axis, it is around 30 degree from the minor axis (Table 3.1).
Table 3.1: M
n
Comparison between Minor Axis Bending & Minimum Bending
ft-k kN.m ft-k kN.m
AT AXIAL LOAD ONLY 0.75 0 0 0 0
AT MAXIMUM LOAD 0.75 211982 287447 225586 305894
AT 0 % TENSION 0.75 159001 215605 147346 199801
AT 25 % TENSION 0.75 184503 250186 185959 252161
AT 50 % TENSION 0.75 199868 271021 210558 285516
AT STEEL STRAIN 0.002 0.75 226028 306494 232392 315124
AT BALANCED CONDITION 0.75 221004 299682 230721 312858
AT STEEL STRAIN 0.005 0.9 298454 404704 268000 363408
AT FLEXURE ONLY 0.84851 286275 388189 255161 345999
d A
w
Mininum (30 deg)
Critical Points
Minor Axis
Reference
[1] AISC 360 (2005). Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 360-05) , American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, IL.
[2] ACI 318 (2008). Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-08) and Commentary , American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI.
[3] CBC (2010). California Building Code , California Building Standards Commission, Sacramento, CA.
[4] IBC (2009). International Building Code , International Code Council, Washington, DC.
[5] ASCE 7 (2010). Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE/SEI 7-10) , American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA.
[6] ASCE 41 (2007). Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings (ASCE/SEI 41-06) , American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA.
[7] AISC 341 (2005). Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 341-05) , American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, IL.
[8] Li, Daniel Tian (2011). Seismic Response History Procedures - a Program for Nonlinear Structural Analysis, www.Engineering-International.com.
Abbreviations
2D : Two Dimensional
3D : Three Dimensional
RCC : Reinforcing Concrete Column
SCC : Super Composite Column