Specification for slenderness ratio of photovoltaic support columns

How to calculate slenderness of a column?

Check the Slenderness of the column. 1. Calculate the effective height of the column 2. Compare the slenderness ratio against the limiting slenderness. Check that the slenderness is within the slenderness limit. Compute the design moment (M) A slender column is a column that is vulnerable to buckling which affects its maximum load bearing capacity.

How to design a slender column?

Design of a slender column should be based on a second-order analysis which incorporates member curvature and lateral drift effects, as well as material non-linearity and sustained load effects. An alternative approach is specified in ACI 318-05 for columns with slenderness ratios not exceeding 100.

Do slender columns resist lower axial loads?

Slender columns resist lower axial loads than short columns having the same cross-section. Therefore, the slenderness effect must be considered in design, over and above the sectional capacity considerations incorporated in the interaction diagrams. The significance of slenderness effect is expressed through slenderness ratio.

How does slenderness affect a pin-ended column?

In the final step of the process of simplification, slenderness effects in the standard pin-ended column are represented by magnified internal actions in the critical cross-section of the column, the design of the slender column thereby being reduced to the design of a cross-section (Fig. ld).

Should slender column design be included in as 1480?

Various factors are also found to be ignored or inadequately treated in AS 1480. It is suggested that the additional eccentricity approach to slender column design be seriously considered for inclu sion in any future revision of AS 1480. Lecturer in Civil Engineering, N.S.W. Institute of Technology.

Are slender column provisions more conservative than other code requirements?

DISCUSSION When compared with other code requirements, the main disadvan tages of the slender column provisions of AS 1480 are seen to be that (a) they are more conservative, and (b) the reduction factor method used is less rational then either the additional moment or moment magnifier method.