ABSTRACT

A beam turned on end and loaded directly through its centre line may be considered to be a column. Under these circumstances the column is subject to concentric or axial compressive loads (Figure 5.1).

Structural members that are subject to concentric compressive loads are not only known as columns. Concrete pillars support axial compressive loads, using the fact that concrete is around 15 times stronger in compression than it is in tension. In steel