1Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering and Construction, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, USA
2Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Online published on 8 September, 2014.
In this study slender column was analyzed and evaluated using the Finite Element Method (FEM) modeling software ETABS and well-known commercial software PCACOL. First the slender column design methods described in ACI code were reviewed manually for one structural model. Then a manual calculation of the slender column design procedure was checked with ETABS. The ETABS result output was also verified with PCACOL. It was observed that ETABS was more conservative than PCACOL for determining Non-sway Moment Magnification Factor (δns). However, PCACOL was more conservative than ETABS for determining Sway Moment Magnification Factor (δs) value. Considering the non-sway column, the steel ratio is 9.22% greater in ETABS design output than PCACOL design output. PCACOL and ETABS used two different approaches to calculate δns as described or required by code. On the other hand, considering sway column, the steel ratio found in PCACOL was 79.60% higher than ETABS. ETABS performed P-Δ analysis approach but PCACOL used a code specified approach to calculate δs. Considering the different approaches followed by different structural analysis and design software, a designer should take care when using either software.
Finite element method, PCACOL, slenderness, sway, non-sway
