STANCHION bases, and foundations or other supporting media should never be designed only on the basis that the vertical load supported by the stanchion is uniformly distributed over the base and stanchion areas even in cases where bending moments due to applied lateral loads or eccentric vertical loads are not present. It may be that, in proportioning the stanchion shaft section, it is assumed that the base is 'hinged' or 'pinned.' If a true hinge or pin is supplied the shaft, under load, will take up a slope at the end and there will be a shear force present (2 1/2per cent of the applied load per B.S.449 and C.P.l13), but at the hinge or pin the bending moment will be zero. If a base plate is used instead of a hinge or pin and the shaft takes up a slope at the end, the base plate will not remain horizontal and it cannot be said that "the base distributes the load uniformly." If the base remains flat, the end of the shaft remains vertical, and for this to be the case there must be a bending moment at the base of the stanchion in addition to the shear force and the vertical load.
G.J. Voce