Steel Columns - Vertical Orientation by John Bouldin

Can a steel column be installed upside down? Absolutely. Even though it is designed to carry vertical load in either direction, the difference is the support beneath the top and bottom plates. You can see from the photo a case where we have little to worry about in terms of the column’s ability to bear vertical load, but we have a real concern with the bending plate.

If the column had been installed ‘right-side up’, the tube of the column itself would be supporting the underside of the top plate, minimizing the risk of this type of deflection. Whether this could progress to the point that the beam could deflect in excess of accepted standards is not as important as the lack of understanding on the part of the installers of this basic load-bearing consideration. As is often the case, we find that ours is a profession that applies common sense to everyday construction matters. While others look at a problem, it is professional inspectors who actually see them!

Learn more in our Online Structure Inspection Course.