HSS Base Plate Design for Axial
Compression and Bending Moment
By Mike Manor, PE, MLSE
Technical Consultant for Steel Tube Institute
Steel Tube Institute Technical Article, September 19, 2024 steeltubeinstitute.org
Steel
HSSTube
BaseInstitute Technical
Plate Design Article,
for Axial September
Compression 19,Bending
and 2024 Moment steeltubeinstitute.org
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HSS Base Plate Design for Axial Compression and Bending Moment Page 1
HSS Base Plate Design for Axial Compression and Bending Moment
By Mike Manor, PE, MLSE
All steel columns need a base plate to transfer the axial and/or flexural forces from the building above into the
supporting foundation. Designing base plates for HSS columns is very similar to base plate design for wide flange
columns with a few key differences in the specific details. AISC Design Guide 1 Third Edition (AISC DG1) explains the
design process for various base plate loadings extremely well for wide flanges, but it only provides a brief paragraph
discussion of the design process modifications for HSS. The AISC 16th
Edition Manual Companion includes Example K.9 for an axially loaded
square HSS column, but current standards do not provide examples for
round HSS columns or any HSS columns subject to moment loading.
Thus, design examples for HSS base plates are difficult to find. STI
provides a great introductory overview of HSS base plates, “Axially
Loaded HSS Column to Base Plate Connections”, which includes a
discussion on axial compression loading, axial tensile loading, fabrication,
and welding design. To continue the discussion of HSS base plate design, Figure 1
this article will explore the design of HSS column base plates under axial Rectangular HSS Column with Base Plate
compression and bending moment.
Geometry
Design of HSS base plates begins with consideration of the geometry and available space for the base plate itself,
the supporting foundations, and the anchor rod layout. Anchor rods provide a positive connection to the foundation
in cases of uplift, and they must be positioned to allow both adequate space for installation and sufficient concrete
cover for the loads present. See Figure
2 for several typical anchor rod layout
options specific to HSS columns. For
axial compression alone, the location of
the anchor rods is not critical in base
plate design. However, when uplift or
overturning moment exists, the anchor
location will play a role in determining
the base plate thickness. Figure 2
Example HSS Base Plate Anchor Layouts
Compression Loading
Turning the focus to compression loading of HSS base plates, the main assumption for design is to evenly distribute
the compression load under the base plate on the supporting concrete. AISC 360-16 equations J8-1 and J8-2 provide
the capacity of the concrete with the second equation accounting for the effects of concrete confinement. The
design of the steel base plate is based on
the pressure from the total concrete
capacity pushing upward on the plate with
an even distribution per the AISC 16th
Edition Steel Manual (AISC 16th Edition) and
AISC DG1. The thickness is then designed
for the flexure developed through
cantilever action of the plate portion
beyond the footprint of the HSS column.
The maximum cantilever distance, or Figure 3
th
(See Figure 3 and AISC 16 Edition Equations Base Plate Critical Bending Section Cantilever Distance Comparison
a) Wide Flange b) Rectangular HSS c) Round HSS
14-2 and 14-3), is the distance from end of
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HSS Base Plate Design for Axial Compression and Bending Moment Page 2
plate to the critical flexural bending section of the plate and is used to determine the required base plate thickness.
Note that the closed shape of HSS columns precludes the need to consider the ʹ distance that is necessary for the
open shape of wide flanges where yield lines can form in the area between the flanges and web.
Rectangular HSS columns have two advantages over wide flange columns. First, HSS columns are more efficient for
axial loading, resulting in less column steel weight when comparing the capacity at tall unbraced lengths. See the STI
HSS and WF Column Selection Guide for more information. Secondly, the coefficient for the critical and
cantilever distance equations is 0.95 at rectangular HSS for both orthogonal directions, unlike WF sections which use
a 0.8 coefficient for dimension parallel to the flanges. When comparing WF and HSS with similar nominal
dimensions, the smaller cantilever distance means a reduction in the bending moment and thus thinner base plates
in many cases for less total steel weight. This can result in a significant tonnage difference in a large building with
many columns.
Round HSS is similar to rectangular HSS in that the cantilever coefficients are the same in the two orthogonal
directions; however, the coefficient is 0.8 rather than 0.95. The use of these coefficients for HSS is intended to use
the same values as wide flange for simplicity while providing a conservative approximation for the distance to the
critical bending section.
Uplift Loading
Steel columns can also experience load cases of net uplift over either the entire base plate (axial tension) or on one
side only for base plates under large moment (tension component at anchor rods). The tension means that the base
plate must be designed for downward flexure which is in the opposite direction than assumed for axial compression
as discussed above. The base plate in this case is no longer experiencing an evenly distributed pressure as the load is
instead concentrated at the anchor rods. The base plate flexure occurs along either a straight or curved path for
rectangular or round HSS respectively.
There are two methods to design the base plate thickness for flexure due to uplift, from which the worst case will
control.
1. Check flexure due to the cantilever of the entire base plate beyond the column critical bending section
using the entire base plate width with a moment arm equal to the distance in Figure 4a or 4c.
2. Check flexure due to a critical bending section located 45º from the column corner. Refer to Figure 4a
and 4b. This method is used when the anchor rods are located near the corner of the base plate, which is
common for HSS columns. However, the difficult part of this method is determining the location of the
flexural failure plane and the associated effective width of the plate. The assumption is that the base
plate failure plane occurs at the corner of the HSS. First, start with a line from the anchor rod hole to the
corner of the column as the flexural moment arm. Second, the effective width is determined by drawing
two more lines from the x x
anchor rod hole 45º each
way from the first line
until they intersect the L q1 = q2 = 45°
assumed failure plane.
be
See the “Designing q2
Column Base Plates for q 1
Uplift” article, pages 27-
28, in Structure Magazine
for an example of this Figure 4
procedure. Base Plate Critical Bending Section for Tension/Uplift Assumptions
a) Full Width vs. 45° b) 45° Assumption c) Full Width Base Plate
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HSS Base Plate Design for Axial Compression and Bending Moment Page 3
Alternatively, a viable option for base plates under tension is the method employed for HSS end plate tension
splices. STI has many resources available for this condition of tension loading and similar conditions under flexural
loading as well. See the following list of references for connection information and design examples for these
alternate methods:
• Round HSS Bolted End-Plate Connections Under Axial Tension Loading
• Round HSS Bolted End-Plate Connections Under Bending Moment
• HSS Design Manual Volume 4 (Bolted Truss End Plate Splice Section)
• AISC Design Guide 24: Hollow Structural Section Connections Second Edition (Ch. 7)
• HSS Poles
HSS Column Base Plate Design Examples
Following are two design examples that demonstrate how to apply the base plate design methodology to HSS
columns as presented in AISC Design Guide 1 Third Edition and Part 14 of the AISC 16th Edition Manual. The first
example is a round HSS column with only an axial compression load. The second example is a rectangular HSS
column with a bending moment combined with an axial compression load to demonstrate the effects of the
interaction on the base plate design.
Example #1: Round HSS Column
Given:
• HSS Material: ASTM A500 Gr. C ( = 50 )
• HSS 12x0.375 Column
• Base Plate Material: ASTM A572 Gr. 50 ( = 50 )
• Factored Axial Load = 500
• ' =3
• Conservatively assume no increase from concrete confinement, thus 1 = 2
HSS Geometry
Determine the required base plate area and optimize the base plate dimensions:
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-6]
For determining the base plate cantilever distance of round HSS, use 0. .
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-17]
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-16]
Round up = =
Per assumption given 1= 2= =( )( )=
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-10]
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HSS Base Plate Design for Axial Compression and Bending Moment Page 4
(Note: ʹ is not used for HSS per AISC DG1)
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-15]
Use 11/ A572 Gr. 50 base plate.
Example #2: Rectangular HSS Column With Bending Moment
Given:
•HSS Material: ASTM A500 Gr. C ( = )
• HSS 16x12x1/2 Column
• Base Plate Material: ASTM A572 Gr. 50 ( = )
• Factored Axial Load =
• Factored Moment Load = · = ·
• ' =
• Conservatively assume no increase from concrete confinement, thus 1 = 2
• Eight anchor rods (4 each side)
HSS Geometry
Choose a trial base plate size based on locating anchor rods with = ″ steel edge distance and 2” clearance
from the face of the column for installation, thus 4” beyond the HSS column in each direction.
Determine the magnitude of the moment relative to the axial load:
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-2]
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-37]
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-39]
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-40]
Since > , the loading is considered a large
moment, and the assumed base plate geometry needs
to be verified that a solution is possible.
Base Plate with Large Moment
AISC DG1 Figure 4-8
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Verify if the following inequality is true:
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-59]
Inequality is true
Determine the length of bearing along the base plate parallel to the moment by solving the quadratic equation:
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-58]
Since . > and > . > , use = .
The total tension at anchor rods is:
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-55]
Assuming four anchor rods on the tension side, the anchor rods need to be designed for:
Determine the thickness required for the base plate.
For cantilever distance of rectangular HSS columns, use a multiplier of 0.95 for both and .
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-10]
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-10]
(Note: If was larger than , would be
substituted in the following)
(Compression zone extends beyond the
base plate cantilever under the column)
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Base Plate Yielding Limit at Bearing Interface:
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-51]
Base Plate Yielding Limit at Tension Interface:
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-61]
[AISC DG1 Equation 4-62]
(Bearing interface controls)
Use / A572 Gr. 50 base plate.
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
The previous portions of this article provide base plate design
information and design examples based on hand calculation
methods. However, software packages for steel connections now
exist that include finite element analysis (FEA) specifically
developed for design by practicing engineers. One option is Idea
StatiCa that provides FEA for steel connections in accordance
with the AISC Specification. Following is a brief demonstration of Figure 5
the FEA output from Idea StatiCa for comparison with the two Finite Element Analysis 3D Images of Examples 1 and 2
examples above (see Figure 5).
For the calculations above in Example 1, the assumption for a base plate under compression loading with a round
HSS column per DG1 guidance is to assume a straight line critical flexural bending section (Figure 3c) based on the
diameter of the column. This is a conservative assumption for adapting the rectangular column procedure to the
round column shape for ease of hand calculation. However, engineering judgement intuitively would
expect more of a circular flexural bending section where the highest
base plate stresses would occur. From the FEA, Figure 6a is a map of
the base plate stresses showing that indeed the highest stresses
develop in a circular pattern. The color-coding scale in Figure 6a was
developed by analyzing a 1-1/4” thick 50 ksi base plate as determined
by Example 1 and shows a maximum plate stress in the range of 29 ksi.
The maximum upper end of the scale comes from applying the AISC
360-16 Section F1 LRFD factor = . to the base plate yield stress:
= ( . )( )= . For comparison, the example has a
demand capacity ratio (DCR) = / = . / . = . while
the FEA has a DCR = / = . showing the hand
calculation to be conservative as expected.
Figure 6
Finite Element Analysis – Example 1
a) Base Plate Stress
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When using FEA for steel connection design, strain is also a
calculated measure of connection acceptability. A common general
assumption is to allow a maximum 5% plastic strain limit. Figure 6b
shows the plastic strain for the round HSS column and base plate. In
this example, the maximum strain is only 0.1% < 5%, but it is all
located within the column rather than the base plate. For this round
HSS example, the FEA demonstrates through both stress and strain
that the 1-1/4” base plate is conservative. By maximizing the FEA,
Idea StatiCa shows that a 1” A572 Gr. 50 ksi plate is adequate for the
loading in Example 1 thus providing a savings for the base plate steel
weight.
Figure 6
Finite Element Analysis – Example 1
b) HSS Column/Base Plate Strain
Figure 7
Finite Element Analysis – Example 2
a) Column and Base Plate Stress b) Base Plate Stress Only
Turning to Example 2, similar comparisons can be made between the hand calculations and the FEA for the
rectangular HSS with large moment as shown in Figure 7. Figure 7a indicates that the entire compression flange of
the HSS column plus a portion of each sidewall has reached the maximum yield stress and thus some plastic strain.
However, looking at Figure 7b, the base plate has a much lower maximum flexural stress in the range of
where the corners of the rectangular HSS provide the highest plate compression. Note that the stress in the plate is
less than the maximum allowed and thus there is no plastic strain in the base plate. The hand calculated DCR
is = / = . / . = . and the FEA DCR = / = . . By again maximizing the FEA, Idea
StatiCa determines that a 1-1/4” A572 Gr. 50 ksi base plate is adequate for the loading rather than the 1-1/2”
thickness from the hand calculations again providing a steel savings.
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CONCLUSION
While base plate design for HSS members share similarities with that of wide flange columns, there are key
distinctions that engineers must account for, particularly in calculating the cantilever distances for flexural bending.
The closed shape of HSS columns, especially rectangular ones, generally results in shorter cantilever distances, which
can translate to more economical base plates, particularly in structures with numerous columns. Furthermore, finite
element analysis (FEA) software provides valuable tools for optimizing base plate designs, offering a more precise
understanding of stress and strain distribution. By leveraging these design resources, engineers can not only ensure
structural integrity but also achieve potential savings in steel usage. This efficiency, combined with HSS columns'
performance under axial loads, especially at large unbraced lengths, extends the benefits of HSS members from the
column itself to the supporting base plate.
References:
1. STI Article: “Axially Loaded HSS Column to Base Plate Connections” by Kim Olson https://
steeltubeinstitute.org/resources/axially-loaded-hss-column-base-plate-connections/
2. AISC Publication: “Design Guide 1 Third Edition: Base Connection Design for Steel Structures” https://
www.aisc.org/Design-Guide-01-Base-Connection-Design-for-Steel-Structures-Third-Edition
3. AISC Publication: “360-22: Specification for Structural Steel Buildings” https://www.aisc.org/Specification
-for-Structural-Steel-Buildings-ANSIAISC-360-22-Download
4. AISC Publication: “Steel Construction Manual 16th Edition” https://www.aisc.org/publications/steel-
construction-manual-resources/16th-ed-steel-construction-manual/
5. AISC/STI/AISI Publication: “Hollow Structural Sections Connection Manual”
6. Structure Magazine Article: “Designing Column Base Plates for Uplift” (pp. 26-27) https://
www.structuremag.org/wp-content/uploads/C-PracSolutions-Mazzei-Aug121.pdf
7. CISC Publication: “Hollow Structural Section Connections and Trusses – A Design Guide” https://
www.cisc-icca.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/HSS_ConnectionsTrusses_PackerHenderson1997.pdf
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