Compression member

Commonly found in engineering and architectural structures, such as columns, struts, and braces, compression members are designed to withstand loads that push or press on them without buckling or failing.

The behavior and strength of a compression member depends on factors like material properties, cross-sectional shape, length, and the type of loading applied.

[1] As detailed in the article on buckling, the slenderness of a compression member, which is defined as the ratio of its effective length to its radius of gyration (

), has a critical role in determining its strength and behavior with axial loading:[2] Formulas for calculating the buckling strength of slender members were first developed by Euler, while equations like the Perry-Robertson formula are commonly applied to describe the behavior of intermediate members.

The Eurocodes published by the Comité Européen de Normalisation provide guidance of the calculation of strength for compression members in concrete, masonry, steel and timber.