Column design calculator

Calculate column capacity and verify buckling resistance

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The Column Design Calculator helps structural engineers analyze column capacity under axial loads and verify resistance to buckling failure. Calculate required column dimensions and reinforcement for concrete and steel columns.

Columns must resist both material failure (crushing) and stability failure (buckling). The calculator considers axial load capacity, slenderness effects, and material properties to ensure columns are properly sized for their loading conditions.

Enter column loads, dimensions, material properties, and effective length to calculate capacity and verify adequacy. The tool helps optimize column sizes while ensuring structural safety and code compliance for both compression and combined loading scenarios.

Features

Everything you need

Axial load capacity calculations
Buckling analysis (Euler buckling)
Slenderness ratio calculations
Concrete and steel column support
Effective length considerations
Reinforcement requirements
Code compliance verification

How it works

Simple workflow

1
Enter axial load and column dimensions
2
Specify material properties (concrete/steel)
3
Input effective length and end conditions
4
Review calculated capacity and safety factor
5
Check buckling resistance

Use cases

Built for real-world scenarios

Structural design

Size columns for new construction based on calculated loads and building geometry.

Capacity verification

Verify existing column capacity when adding loads or modifying structures.

Code compliance

Ensure column designs meet structural code requirements for strength and stability.

Renovation planning

Evaluate column capacity for building renovations and additions.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

For short columns: P = f'c × Ag (concrete) or P = Fy × Ag (steel). For slender columns, reduce capacity based on slenderness ratio. The calculator handles both cases automatically.

Buckling is instability failure where a column bends laterally under load, even if material stress is below yield. Slender columns (high length-to-width ratio) are more susceptible to buckling.

Effective length accounts for end restraint conditions. Pinned ends: Le = L. Fixed ends: Le = 0.5L. One fixed, one pinned: Le = 0.7L. Effective length affects buckling capacity.

Ensure adequate cross-sectional area for load, limit slenderness ratio, provide proper end restraints, and use appropriate material strength. The calculator helps identify which factor governs design.

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We're always looking to improve our calculators. If you have ideas for new features, improvements, or found something that could work better, we'd love to hear from you.

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