Column Member Selection Tables

[zrck99]

I am currently studying for the structural section of the PE exam and am wanting to verify that the column member selection tables take into account all potential modes of failure: flexural buckling, local buckling, torsional buckling and flexural torsional buckling. My textbooks don't seem to explicitly state whether they do or do not always provide accurate information.

As a follow up question, it seems like the column member selection tables are missing a lot of different sections (For instance, the deepest W section is W14). Why is this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MotorCity]

The column tables are based on failure modes resulting from axial load only and do not account for flexure (lateral load on column) or local failures in web or flanges.

The reason that the tables do not go beyond W14 is that sections larger than W14 are not commonly used in building design. That's not to say that you can't use a larger column, you just need to calculate the capacity yourself. Take a look at the capacity of the larger W14's....they are quite high.

 

[zrck99]

So assuming you apply an axial load with no eccentricity to one of the shapes with low torsional resistance (WT or LL for example), will the column member selection tables account for flexural buckling and torsional/flexural torsional buckling? It seems like they would but the code doesn't seem to specifically say that they do. I'm wanting to make sure that if I get a design problem using one of these shapes the capacity reported in the member selection table has account for torsional/FTB as well as Flexural Buckling.

Does that make sense?

Thanks

 

[WillisV]

Yes they do.