This engineering thesis was made for engineering office Magnus Malmberg Ltd. Engineering office Magnus Malmberg Ltd. is a design office specialized both in construction design and project management duties. Design offices are facing a new challenge. Finland is currently implementing Eurocode, which will replace the building regulation part B of Finland, dealing with load bearing structures, on 1 April 2010. Due to the replacement of regulations, many new design methods are introduced in the new Eurocode regulations.

There are three analysis methods introduced in standard EN1992-1-1 which can be used to define second order effects: a general method and two simplified methods. Finnish national annex of standard EN1992-1-1 defines the designer to choose one of the simplified methods by considering the case but it does not respond in detail to how to choose between simplified analysis methods.

In this thesis, differences were observed between the simplified analysis methods used to define second order effects for structures strained by normal strength. The thesis was started by familiarizing with the design and planning methods of concrete columns. In this thesis, interaction diagrams were created for example structures and analysis was conducted on how correction factors used in the simplified analysis methods affects second order effects. Also, the slenderness limit for isolated members and capacities were examined with both of the simplified analysis methods.

Based on the results of this thesis it can be concluded that the nominal stiffness method gives remarkably greater second order effects than the nominal curvature method. As a result, cases are introduced where the correction factor can be chosen case-specifically for nominal stiffness method. Thus the simplified methods give more similar results. Finally, a number of matters are introduced which need to be taken account, as well as some factors of uncertainty.