Columns are defined as:

• A. Any decorative post
• B. A beam
• C. Any structural element loaded axially
• D. A support that carries only shear loads

Answer: (C)

Columns are vertical structural members whose main job is to carry loads along their length in compression from floors and roofs down to the foundation. This axial loading is what defines them, separating them from decorative posts and from beams, which resist bending from loads applied across a span. A member that only carries shear would not be a column, since columns are intended to transmit load through their axis. So, the idea that a column is any structural element loaded axially best captures its role in supporting vertical loads in a frame.