What is Column Failure ?

Columns are used to transfer the load vertically to the horizontal beams. Every material used in the building experience both compression and tension stress. Columns consist of two major material which are concrete and steel.

Engineers do calculate the total stress caused by the live load and dead load of the entire building and will design the internal components of the building such as foundation, beam and columns. So if the applied stress exceeds the allowable stress then the structure starts to fail. Hence column failure also occurs due to this reason.

Types of Column Failure

Generally Column fails due to compression and buckling.

Compression Failure.

Compression failure is the crushing or yielding of material itself and not the whole column. Shorter and wider column normally fails under compression failure when the axially loaded stress exceeds allowable stress. Compression failure occurs when then concrete starts to fail or bulge.

We know the column consists of two major components concrete and steel. Compressive strength is normally how much load that the material can withstand before it could completely fail. Normally different materials have different compressive strength.

Buckling Failure.

Buckling failure occurs in long columns where the columns displaced laterally or horizontally. We don’t need to analyze the design of the structural members but we do have the responsibility to identify the type of failures occurred, whether it is because of the concrete we used for the design.

Also Read : Concrete Spalling : Causes & Prevention