Lecture 10 Column Base Plates

Columns must transmit vertical loads to the concrete footing. An intermediary steel base plate is used to distribute this column load without crushing the concrete. Applied load P

Steel column

Anchor rods (4 min. per OSHA) See AISC p. 14-9 Steel base plate Base Plate thickness

Concrete resistance to crushing

The design of steel base plates is based on the following: AISC Spec. Chapter J8 (p. 16.1-70) AISC Part 14

Lecture 10 - Page 1 of 6

The design of a base plate involves the following steps: Pp = Nominal bearing strength of concrete = 0.85fcA1 Design Bearing strength of concrete: cPp where c = 0.60 LRFD where c = 2.50 ASD c where: fc = specified compressive strength of concrete, KSI A1 = area of steel base plate concentrically loaded on conc, in2 = BN (where B and N use whole inches if possible)
B bf m

Pp

See AISC p. 14-5

0.95d m n 0.80bf n

m=

N 0.95d 2 B 0.80b f
2

n=

Lecture 10 - Page 2 of 6

tmin = minimum base plate thickness per AISC p. 14-6:

t min = L 2 f pu 0 .9 F y

t min = L Pu BN

3.33 f pa

Fy Pa BN

where: f pu =

where: f pa =

Pu = factored axial load, kips m L = larger of n =

Fy = base plate steel yield stress

Pa = service axial load, kips m L = larger of n

Fy = base plate steel yield stress

LRFD

ASD

Lecture 10 - Page 3 of 6

Example (LRFD) GIVEN: A W14x82 A992 column has a factored axial load Pu = 700 KIPS. It bears on a steel base plate using A36 steel. The footing has concrete fc = 3000 PSI. REQUIRED: Design the column base plate. Step 1 Determine required base plate area, A1 to avoid conc. crushing:

cPp = Design bearing strength of concrete = 0.6Pp = 0.6(0.85fcA1)

Re-arranging to solve for A1: A1 =
Pu 0.6(0.85 f ' c )

700 KIPS 0.6(0.85(3KSI ))

A1 = 457.5 in2 Step 2 Determine Optimized base plate dimensions:

0.95d 0.8b f 2 0.95(14.3" ) 0.8(10.1" ) 2

d and bf from properties p. 1-22

= 2.75 N
A1 + 457.5in 2 + 2.75"

24.14
TRY N = 24 and B = 20 (Area = 480 in2 > 457.5 in2)

Lecture 10 - Page 4 of 6

Step 3 Determine m and n: m=

N 0.95d 2

24"0.95(14.3" ) 2

= 5.2 n=

B 0.80b f

2 20"0.80(10.1" ) 2

= 5.96 Step 4 Determine minimum base plate thickness, tmin:

t min = L 2 f pu 0 .9 F y

where: Pu = factored axial load, kips = 700 Kips

f pu = Pu BN

700 Kips = 1.46 KSI (20" )(24" )

m = 5.2

L = larger of n = 5.96 use

t min = 5.96"

2(1.46 KSI ) 0.9(36 KSI )

Base plate yield stress

= 1.79 use 1 thick plate

Lecture 10 - Page 5 of 6

Step 5 Draw Summary Sketch:

20

W14x82 A992 col. centered on plate

24

7 1 " thick A36 steel base plate 8

Lecture 10 - Page 6 of 6