Prepared By

ENGR. YOSHIAKI C. MIKAMI, MSCE-STE RMP

 BASE PLATE
a flat supporting plate or frame at the base of a
column, designed to distribute the column's weight over a
greater area and provide increased stability. It is to transfer
load from the steel structure to concrete members, i.e.
foundation and pedestals.
steel columns are usually welded to the bottom of the
base plate. The base plate may either be embedded into the
concrete support or anchored.

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 BASE PLATE
loadings on base plate are generally divided into three
types. The first is the axially loaded column, shown in Fig. 1 (a).
The load is perpendicular to the plate and through the column
centroid. It is used in frames in which the column bases are
assumed pinned. The second case, shown in Fig. 1 (b), includes
both an axial load and a moment. This kind of connection
would be used at the base of moment resistant frames where
moment capacity is needed. The third case, shown in Fig. 1 (c),
is a base plate with a horizontal, or shear load. This will occur in
rigid frames.

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 BASE PLATE
BEARING STRENGTH
For LRFD: 𝑷𝒖 ≤ ∅𝒄 𝑷𝑷 ; ∅𝒄 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟓
For ASD: 𝑷𝒂 ≤ 𝑷𝑷 /𝜴𝒄 ; 𝜴𝒄 = 𝟐. 𝟑𝟏
Nominal bearing strength, Pp, is determined as follows:
1. On the full area of a concrete support
𝑷𝒑 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟓𝒇′𝒄 ∙ 𝑨𝟏
2. On less than the full area of a concrete support
𝑨𝟐
𝑷𝒑 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟓𝒇′𝒄 ∙ 𝑨𝟏 ∙ ≤ 𝟏. 𝟕𝒇′𝒄 ∙ 𝑨𝟏
𝑨𝟏
Where:
A1 – area of steel concentrically bearing on a concrete support
A2 – maximum area of the portion of the supporting surface
that is geometrically similar to and concentric with the loaded
area

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 BASE PLATE

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 BASE PLATE
The allowable bearing stress has been based on the
bearing stress used in the ACI Code (ACI 1983) which is in turn
based on the work of Hawkins pertaining to rigid plates (1967,
1968). Thus the plate should be designed to behave like a rigid
plate. The plate is assumed to bend about the critical sections
as a cantilevered beam, loaded with the uniformly distributed
bearing stress.
the plastic moment is used for the plate capacity
𝑴𝒏 = 𝒁 ∙ 𝑭𝒚
Where:
∅𝑏 = 0.90 − 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑍 − 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑢𝑠
𝐹𝑦 − 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑙

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 BASE PLATE
Design for the lightest plate
The most economical plate occurs when m and n are
equal and the ratio of the concrete to plate area is equal to or
greater than 4.0.
1. Determine the factored load Pu
2. The required plate area A1
𝑷𝒖
𝑨𝟏 =
∅𝒄 𝟏.𝟕𝒇′𝒄
3. The plate dimension B and N should be determined so that
m and n are approximately equal
𝑵= 𝑨𝟏 + ∆
Where: ∆= 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎(𝟎. 𝟗𝟓𝒅 − 𝟎. 𝟖𝟎𝒃𝒇)
then:
𝑨
𝑩= 𝟏
𝑵
note: values should be rounded up increments of 25mm

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 BASE PLATE
4. Detemine m and n
5. Determine the required plate thickness tp based on the
larger value m and n
𝟐𝑷𝒖
𝒕𝒑 = 𝒎 𝒐𝒓 𝒏
𝟎.𝟗𝟎𝑭𝒚 𝑩𝑵

6. The pedestal dimensions are then determined. Since the

procedure was based on the highest allowable bearing
stress, the minimum concrete area should be:
𝐴2 = 4𝑁𝐵
7. Check for plate bending in the portion between the
column flanges.

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 BASE PLATE
General design procedure
It is not always possible to have concrete pedestals
equal to four times the plate area. If the ratio of the concrete
to plate area is determined before designing the plate with the
appropriate change to the allowable bearing stress.
1. Determine the factored load Pu
2. The area of the plate should be equal to the larger of
2
𝟏 𝑷𝒖
𝑨𝟏 =
𝑨𝟐 ∅𝒄 𝟎.𝟖𝟓𝒇′ 𝒄
𝑷𝒖
𝑨𝟏 =
∅𝒄 𝟏.𝟕𝒇′𝒄
note: If the second equation governs, the concrete area A2 is
equal to or greater than 4 times the plate area A1
3. Same as step 3
4. Same as step 4
5. Same as step 5
6. Same as step 7

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 COMPRESSION MEMBERS
EXAMPLE:
A W14X550 is used as a column is to carry an axial load of
5400kN. Design a square base plate to support the column. the
base plate rests on full area of a square concrete compression
block w/ fc=21 MPa. Use A36 steel base plate
W14X550 properties:
bf=437 mm
d=514 mm
Req: BxNxt

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 COMPRESSION MEMBERS
SOLUTION:
2
1 𝑃𝑢
𝐴1−1 =
𝐴2 ∅0.85𝑓′ 𝑐
1 5,400,000𝑁 2
𝐴1−1 =
𝐴1 0.65 0.85 21 𝑁 2
𝑚𝑚

𝐴1−1 = 465,416.94 𝑚𝑚2

𝑃𝑢
𝐴1−2 =
∅1.7𝑓′ 𝑐
5,400,000𝑁
𝐴1−2 = 𝑁
∅1.7 21
𝑚𝑚2

𝐴1−2 = 232,700.43 𝑚𝑚2

𝐴1 = max 𝐴1−1 , 𝐴1−2 = 465,416.94 𝑚𝑚2

𝐵=𝑁= 465,416.94𝑚𝑚2 = 682.21𝑚𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝟕𝟎𝟎𝒎𝒎

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 COMPRESSION MEMBERS
SOLUTION:
𝑁−0.95𝑑 700𝑚𝑚−0.95(514𝑚𝑚)
𝑚= =
2 2
𝑚 = 105.85 𝑚𝑚

𝐵−0.8𝑏𝑓 700𝑚𝑚−0.8(437𝑚𝑚)
𝑛= =
2 2
𝑛 = 175.2 𝑚𝑚

2𝑃𝑢
𝑡𝑝 = (𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑛)
0.90(𝐹𝑦 )(𝐵)(𝑁)

2(5400000𝑁)
𝑡𝑝 = 175.2𝑚𝑚 𝑁
0.90 248 (700𝑚𝑚)(700𝑚𝑚)
𝑚𝑚2

𝑡𝑝 = 55.06 𝑚𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝟓𝟔 𝒎𝒎

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 COMPRESSION MEMBERS
SOLUTION:
𝑀𝑢 = ∅𝑀𝑛 = ∅𝐹𝑦𝑍
2
𝑃𝑢 (𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑛) 1𝑚𝑚 𝑡𝑝
1𝑚𝑚 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑛 = ∅𝐹𝑦
𝐵𝑁 2 4
2
𝑃𝑢 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑛 2 ∅𝐹𝑦 𝑡𝑝
=
2𝐵𝑁 4
2 4𝑃𝑢 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑛 2
𝑡𝑝 =
2𝐵𝑁(∅𝐹 )
𝑦

2𝑃𝑢 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑛 2
𝑡𝑝 =
𝐵𝑁(∅𝐹𝑦 )

2𝑃𝑢
𝑡𝑝 = (𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑛)
𝐵𝑁(∅𝐹𝑦 )

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 COMPRESSION MEMBERS
SOLUTION:
What if the base plate is not square, compute for its dimension
𝑁= 𝐴1 + ∆
∆= 0.50 0.95𝑑 − 0.8𝑏𝑓
∆= 0.50 0.95 514𝑚𝑚 − 0.8 437𝑚𝑚
∆= 69.35𝑚𝑚

𝑁= 465,416.94𝑚𝑚2 + 69.35𝑚𝑚
𝑁 = 751.56𝑚𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝟕𝟕𝟓𝒎𝒎

465,416.94𝑚𝑚2
𝐵= = 600.54𝑚𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝟔𝟐𝟓𝒎𝒎
775𝑚𝑚

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