Interaction Diagrams

The design of RC columns is more difficult than the design of

RC beams. In practice the longitudinal steel in an RC column is
usually chosen with the aid of an interaction diagram. An
interaction diagram is a graphical summary of the ultimate
bending capacity of a range of RC columns with different
dimensions and areas of longitudinal reinforcement. Thus RC
column design is via RC analysis.





Consider the column section shown above. This section is on the
point of failure since the strain in the most compressive fibre is
0.0035. The axial load which the column is resisting is given by

N F f A f A
ult c s s s s
= + + ' '

(assume compressive stresses positive)
In a similar manner the moment which the section resists can be
expressed as,

M
ult
F
c
h
x f
s
A
s
h
d f
s
A
s
d
h
=
|
\

|
.
|
+
|
\

|
.
|

|
\

|
.
|
2
0 4
2 2
. ' ' '

both these quantities the axial capacity and moment capacity are
functions of the position of the neutral axis. These equations are
the basis of any interaction diagram.

Dimension-less Interaction Diagrams

In practice it is cumbersome to construct an interaction diagram
for each column one designs. Therefore it is customary to draw.
or use pre-drawn, dimension-less interaction diagrams.

In the following section we first consider a concrete section
without reinforcement. In this case

N
f
b x f
conc
ck
ck
= =
085
15
08 0 453
.
.
. . bx

By altering the equation for the axial capacity a dimension-less
variable related to the axial capacity can be derived.

conc
conc
ck
N
f bh
x
h
= =
|
\

|
.
| 0 453 .

This expression describes the axial capacity in terms of one
variable
x
h
|
.
|
|
\

.

In a similar manner an expression for the moment capacity of an
unreinforced concrete section

M
f
b x
h x
f bxh
x
h
conc
ck
ck
=
|
\

|
.
|
=
|
\

|
.
|
085
15
08
2
08
2
0 227 1 08
.
.
.
.
. .


can be developed to give a dimension-less quantity which
describes the moment capacity in terms of
x
h
|
.
|
|
\

conc
conc
ck
M
f bh
x
h
x
h
= =
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|

(
2
0 227 1 08 . .

The dimension-less formulae for axial capacity are altered if the
column is reinforced on the tension (less compressed) side.

s
S
ck
s s
ck
s s
ck
N
f bh
A f
f bh
A
bh
f
f
= = =
|
\

|
.
|


s
s
ck
s
M
f bh
d
h
= =
|
\

|
.
|
2
1
2


The change in axial load and moment capacity are dependent on
the stress in the steel and thus on the strain in the steel,



( )
( ) 0 0035
0 0035
0 0035
.
.
.
x x d
x d
x
x
h
d
h
x
h
s
s
s
=

=

=
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
|
|

and hence the change in the capacities are dependent on
x
h
| |
.
|
\

.
Similarly the compression steel (steel on the most compressed
side of the section) also alters the axial capacity

s
S
ck
s s
ck
s s
ck
N
f bh
A f
f bh
A
bh
f
f
'
' ' ' '
= = =
|
\

|
.
|
'




and the moment capacity


s
s
ck
s
M
f bh
d
h
'
'
'
'
= =
|
\

|
.
|
2
1
2


as before the strain in the compression steel is a function of the
depth to the neutral axis and hence the variable
x
h
|
.
|
|
\

.

( )
( ) 0 0035
0 0035
0 0035
.
'
.
'
.
'
'
'
x x d
x d
x
x
h
d
h
x
h
s
s
s
=

=

=
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
|
|

Thus the overall axial capacity,

N
f bh
f
x
h
d
h
d
h
A
bh
A
bh
ck
c s s
s s
= + + =
|
\

|
.
|
'
'
, ,
'
, ,

and the overall moment capacity,

M
f bh
f
x
h
d
h
d
h
A
bh
A
bh
ck
c s s
s s
2
= + + =
|
\

|
.
|
'
'
, ,
'
, ,

are both functions of f
x
h
d
h
d
h
A
bh
A
bh
s s
, ,
'
, ,
'
|
\

|
.
|
.

Interaction Diagram Procedure

Step 1
Calculate
d
h
d
h
A
bh
A
bh
s
,
'
, &
' s
. These are all constants once the areas
of steel and the dimensions of the section and the concrete cover
are defined.

Step 2
Choose a value for
x
h


Step 3
Using this value of
x
h
calculate the strain in the top and bottom
reinforcement,
s'
&
s
, using the formulae

s
x
h
d
h
x
h
=
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
|
|
0 0035 . &
s
x
h
d
h
x
h
'
.
'
=
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|
|
|
|
0 0035

and thus the stresses in the top and bottom reinforcement,
. f f
s s '
&

Step 4
Use these values for in the formulae for f
s'
& f
s
&

=
|
\

|
.
| +
|
\

|
.
| +
|
\

|
.
| 0 453 .
' '
x
h
A
bh
f
f
A
bh
f
f
s s
ck
s s
ck


and
=
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
|

(

|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
| +
|
\

|
.
|
|
\

|
.
| 0 227 1 08
1
2
1
2
. .
'
' '
x
h
x
h
d
h
A
bh
f
f
d
h
A
bh
f
f
s s
ck
s s
ck

Step 5

Repeat steps 2-4 to generate a series of failure points on the
& diagram. Join adjacent points to generate a continuous
curve which indicates combinations of & at failure

Example



d
h
d
h
A
bh
A
bh
s s
= = = =
= =

= =
255
300
085
45
300
015
314 3
300 300
0 02 2%
.
'
.
.
'