Are Tier Building Column Splices Designed?

The design of splices for multistory building columns sometimes presents an apparent conflict between theory and practice. Examination of several steel design textbooks in current use shows a wide divergence of solutions. Most disconcerting is one statement that the AISC Specification does not spell out requirements for splicing joints of compression members and, therefore, to design the splice, reference must be made to a specification for designing railroad bridges. Even if the AISC Specification did not adequately cover the problem (and it does), the employment of a specification not applicable to buildings can hardly be considered a satisfactory substitute. Misleading information such as the foregoing may be one reason for inefficient, uneconomic details that often appear on design drawings. What are the facts regarding AISC Specification requirements for splicing multistory columns and how are they commonly designed? For nearly 35 years the AISC Specification has contained all the necessary requirements for properly designing splices in compression members, including tier building columns.