THEORETICALLY no splice is required since compression will be directly transferred through the bearing. But truly axial load in column never occurs.(iii) Also columns are most of the time also subjected to BENDING. This raises the necessity of column splices. Column sections are required to be spliced for the following casesWhen the AVAILABLE length of the structural STEEL section is less than the required length of the column.In the case of multi-story buildings, the sections of columns required for the various stories may be different.In multi-storeyed buildings, for convenience of fabrication, it is kept at about 5 m lengths. So, splicing of the column is necessary to join the fabrication along the length.Specification for the design of splices:(i) Where the ends of the compression members are faced for complete bearing over the whole area there the splices are designed to hold the members accurately in position and to resist any tension where bending is also there.(ii) In case the connecting members are not faced for complete bearing then splices are designed to transmit all the forces to which they are subjected to.(iii) Splices are designed as short columns.(i) Ideally a splice plate should be located at a place where a flexural moment in the column is zero i.e. at the location of the POINT of contra flexure.(ii) Due to direct load, there are two points of contra flexure varying from the middle of the column to the points above or below the middle.