How do you calculate the capacity of a column?

The capacity of a column is determined using the formula that relates its cross-sectional area and the material's strength. This formula reflects the fundamental principles of structural engineering, where the capacity indicates how much load the column can support without failing.

In particular, the cross-sectional area represents the area that bears the load, while the material strength conveys how much stress the material can endure before failing. By multiplying these two factors together, you obtain the maximum load the column can safely handle, which is its capacity. This calculation is crucial for ensuring that columns in structures can support the intended loads without risking structural integrity.

Other options do not appropriately represent how to calculate the capacity of a column. For instance, multiplying material weight by height doesn't provide a measure relevant to load-bearing capacity. Referring to standard tables may give you values, but without a clear understanding of how they relate to specific conditions like cross-sectional area and material strength, it doesn't effectively calculate capacity. Lastly, subtracting the column’s weight from the total load does not yield the column's capacity; rather, it pertains to load calculations and safety factors.