**Evolution of Columns:**
– Ancient Egyptian columns date back to 2600 BC
– Minoans used whole tree-trunks as columns
– Greeks developed classical orders of architecture
– Persians had elaborate stone columns in Persepolis
– Iron Age civilizations in Near East and Mediterranean used columns
– Imhotep used stone columns in ancient Egyptian architecture
– Minoans used columns for open-plan spaces
– Greeks and Romans developed classical orders of columns
**Design and Structure of Columns:**
– Transmit weight from above to below
– Compression member in architecture and engineering
– Supports beams or arches
– Designed to resist lateral forces
– Can be decorative or structural
– Early columns were constructed of stone, some out of a single piece of stone.
– Monolithic columns are among the heaviest stones used in architecture.
– Most classical columns incorporate entasis and a reduction in diameter along the height to create an optical illusion of height and straightness.
– Bases may consist of elements like a plinth, torus, scotia, trochilus, astragal, annulets, or fillets.
– The top of the shaft features a capital, with different designs for Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns.
**Historical Development of Columns:**
– Byzantine and Romanesque architecture abandoned classical forms
– Capitals often featured foliage decoration
– Romanesque builders reused ancient Roman columns
– Emphasis on elegance and beauty in Romanesque columns
– Gothic columns featured in churches
– Romans expanded orders to include Tuscan and Composite
– Columns used extensively in classical architecture
– Persian columns in Persepolis were massive and elaborate
**Mechanics and Stability of Columns:**
– A perfectly straight slender column passes through stable equilibrium, neutral equilibrium, and instability as axial load increases.
– The critical load is reached at neutral equilibrium, where a slight increase in load leads to buckling and collapse.
– The buckling strength of a column is inversely proportional to the square of its length.
– Inelastic buckling occurs when the critical stress is greater than the proportional limit of the material.
– Eccentricity of the load or imperfections decreases column strength.
– Eccentrically loaded columns experience immediate bending due to the load not being concentric with the centroidal axis.
**Modern Applications and Extensions of Columns:**
– Modern columns can be made of steel, concrete, or brick
– Modern architectural columns may incorporate extensions for aesthetic or functional purposes
– When a column is too long to be built in one piece, it may be extended using multiple sections
– Extensions in column design can include variations in the base, shaft, and capital to achieve different architectural styles
– Different orders of columns, such as Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, have specific design elements for their extensions
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. The term column applies especially to a large round support (the shaft of the column) with a capital and a base or pedestal, which is made of stone, or appearing to be so. A small wooden or metal support is typically called a post. Supports with a rectangular or other non-round section are usually called piers.
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For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces. Other compression members are often termed "columns" because of the similar stress conditions. Columns are frequently used to support beams or arches on which the upper parts of walls or ceilings rest. In architecture, "column" refers to such a structural element that also has certain proportional and decorative features. A column might also be a decorative element not needed for structural purposes; many columns are engaged, that is to say form part of a wall. A long sequence of columns joined by an entablature is known as a colonnade.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Column:
A column is a vertical structural element that supports weight and transmits it to the ground. In architecture and construction, columns are often used to provide support for buildings and other structures. They can be made of various materials such as concrete, steel, or wood, and come in different shapes and sizes depending on the design and load-bearing requirements.