This months Steel Quiz takes a look at the recommended design

procedure for column base plates subjected to axial compression, as

steel quiz covered in Part 14 of the AISC 14th Edition Steel Construction Manual.

1 C o n s i d e r the base plate Figure 1 2 True orP False: used in Equation

P
bf
configuration shown in Figure 1. 14-7 in the AISC 14th Edition Steel
Match the following four expressions Construction Manual can always be
m
based on Equation 14-7 of the AISC taken conservatively as 1.
14th Edition Steel Construction
Manual with the correct limit states
3 True or False: The most economical
d 0.95d N
P base plate thickness usually
f = P occurs
shownbin
f Figure 2 through 5. P fp = P
BN
p

when m and n, shown in Figure 1,

BN

2Pu are equal.

f = P Where f f = P Where f
tmin = m m
m p p
BN is applied to
p
BN is applied to
p

0.9FyBN c h e c k sthe shaded area. shaded area.

flexural strength of the shaded n 0.80bf n
4 D e r i v e t h e f o r m u l a s h o w n i n
portion of the base plate shown in B
Equation 14-7a (LRFD) provided
d
Figure ______.
0.95d N
fp= P in the AISC 14th Edition Steel
fp = P
BN Figure 2 BNFigure 3 Construction Manual (also shown
2Pu P
P
f p = P Where fp fp= P Where fp below).
f tmin = n m
0.9F
bf yBN
checks the BN is applied to BN is applied to
P area. 2Pu
Pshaded area. shaded
tmin = l (14-7a)
flexural
n 0.80bf
strength
n
of the shaded 0.9FyBN
m
portion of the base plate shown in
FigureB______. m

0.95d N
fp= P
2P fp = P
BN
d
tmin = n' BN
u0.95d N
= 1,
0.9FyBN , where
fp= P
fp = P
BN
= P Where fp BN f p = P Where
m checks the flexural f pstrength
BN is appliedof
to the
Figure 4 fp
BN is applied to
Figure 5
P
P
shaded portion of the m base plate
shaded area.b f f p = P shaded
Where area.
fp
BN is applied to
fp= P
BN
Where fp
is applied to
0bf n
shown in Figure _____. shaded area. shaded area.

n 0.80bf n m
2Pu
tmin = n'
0.9FyBN , where < 1,
B

checks the flexural strength of the TURN PAGE FOR ANSWERS

d 0.95d N
shaded portion of the base plate fp = P
fp= P
BN
shown in Figure _____. BN

fp= P Where fp fp= P Where fp

m
BN is applied to BN is applied to
shaded area. shaded area.

n 0.80bf n

JANUARY 2016
 steel quiz ANSWERS

1 Figure 5, Figure 2, Figure 4, Figure 3. 4 The equation for a cantilevered beam that is uniformly
loaded, per unit width, is equal to:
2 True. helps identify whether a column base plate
is lightly loaded or not. If so, the base plate material l2 P l2
within the hatched line area shown in Figure 1 can be Mu = fp = u
2 BN 2
checked as shown in Figure 3. If = 1, then this same
area is checked using the approach shown in Figure 4. The available flexural strength of a plate, per unit width,
Conservatively setting = 1 means that you are always based on the yielding limit state (see Section F11 in the
checking the base plate, even those that would qualify AISC Specification) is:
as lightly loaded, using the approach shown in Figure
4, which would yield a conservative base plate thickness t2
Mn = FyZ = 0.9Fy
relative to the thickness obtained using the approach 4
shown in Figure 3 for lightly loaded columns.
Set Mu = Mn and solve for t. The resulting value is tmin.
3 True. Setting m and n equal to one another will generate
the same flexural demand on the base plate for the cases
shown in Figures 2 and 5.

Everyone is welcome to submit questions and answers for Steel Quiz.

If you are interested in submitting one question or an entire quiz, contact
AISCs Steel Solutions Center at 866.ASK.AISC or at solutions@aisc.org.

JANUARY 2016