definition of a concrete columns vs. a wall

huangyhg

definition of a concrete columns vs. a wall
could someone provide me with a code reference that indicates when a certain member is defined as a column vs a wall (aspect ratios etc?).  looking more as it pretains to min. reinforcing provisions and fire rating applications as opposed to strength design.   
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i doubt there exists such reference. the following is merely my 2 cents.
for reinforcing purpose, i define a column as a long compression   
i remember seeing something that classified walls and columns based on b/d ratio in the florida building code. i will look for it. i think i re  
i have often wondered about this same question, and have never received a satisfactory answer...
my personal belief is fairly simple, and similar to kslee1000's approach;  it has to do with behaviour.  if the element will behave primarily as a compression member under vertical loading, it is a column.  buckling checks, stirrups to stabilise the compression steel, stirrups to permit safe formation of plastic hinges, etc, etc, column detailing approaches are required.  if the element acts primarily as a flexural   
the same question was asked and answered in the october 2003 issue of concrete international magazine. if you're an aci   
to me, specifically for concrete, if there are ties required to constrain verttical reinforcing, i would consider it a column element.  without the ties, then a wall element.
mike mccann
mmc engineering
@concretedoc - yes i am familiar with the document you mention, unfortunately that answer is not really satisfactory in this context.  i will try to ask icc for a code clarification in the context of fire rating provisions.  
as an fyi aci 530 defines a column for masonry as b/d ratio <3.   
see aci 318-05 page 29 under the definition of a column.  is that what you were looking for?
nope!  thanks though.  what i'm really looking for is a clarification based on ibc fire ratings.  there are different minimum thickness requirements for walls and columns.  so is a 8"x72"   
as suggested before, for fire rating, you have to judge from the function of the element you are evaluating. a column is a single element for which failure can trigger a series of adjacent elements to follow suite, and likely resulting in structural collapse over a significant areas, if not the complete building/structure, and render the building/structure un-inhabitable. on the other hand, the failure of a wall could cause severe "localized" damages to an extent but collapse is highly unlikable.
assign rigid aspect ration can fool you into making trigical mistakes without thinking the consequence. for example, due to aesthetic reasons, a short wall (pier) with relative large aspect ratio can serve as main column in many modern buildings. structurally it can be designed as a wall, but functionally speaking it is a column. i hope there is someone agree with me on this, and can provide better explanations and examples.  
aci 318 in the "definitions" section defines columns as "