Clarifying the theoretical basis of the global geometric imperfection analysis (out-of-plumb columns)

Abstract The concrete structures present several geometric deviations, some of them considered indirectly in the safety factors of the design. However, the imperfections of the element axes, especially columns, should be explicitly considered in the structural analysis because they have great influence over the building stability. The NBR 6118:2014, Brazilian standard code for the design of concrete structures, defines a global geometric inclination to the columns, also called “out-of-plumb columns”, that causes additional forces not presented in the “perfect” structure, which must be ...