A vertical support that transfers weight from floors and roofs down to the foundation.
A vertical structural member that carries compressive loads from beams, girders, or slabs down to the foundation. Columns may be made of steel, concrete, wood, or masonry. Slender columns are also designed to resist buckling under high compressive forces.
Columns are core structural items whose material, size, and connections drive significant cost in the structural package, whether steel tonnage, concrete and formwork, or reinforcing. Accurate column takeoffs feed the framing estimate and coordinate with foundation and connection scopes, so errors propagate through the whole structure bid. Distinguishing column types and special slender or composite designs affects both pricing and which trade carries the work.
On a steel-frame office, the estimator counts each column line, totals the tonnage by section size, and adds base plates, anchor bolts, and connection material before applying the fabrication and erection rates.
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