The maximum slenderness ratio of a compression member carrying both dead and superimposed load is 200. This is the value specified in the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Specification for Structural Steel Buildings. The slenderness ratio is a measure of the stability of a compression member. A higher slenderness ratio indicates a less stable member and a greater risk of buckling. The AISC Specification limits the slenderness ratio of compression members to 200 to ensure that they are adequately stable.
Option A, 180, is too low. A slenderness ratio of 180 would indicate a very stable member and would not be necessary for most applications.
Option B, 200, is the correct answer. This is the value specified in the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings.
Option C, 250, is too high. A slenderness ratio of 250 would indicate a less stable member and would be more likely to buckle.
Option D, 350, is much too high. A slenderness ratio of 350 would indicate a very unstable member and would be very likely to buckle.