Burtonli:
My post was somewhat unclear, I agree that k is the column's effective length factor. However, when you check a column for strength interaction and stability interaction, you have axial and moment effects to consider, and the overall check of the column is largely dependent on how you treated the stability effects.
I need some help here from some other practicing Canadian engineers to shed some light on this: it's just not that fresh in my memory.
The U2 factor, by the way, can be used instead of a P-delta analysis, especially if your computer program only iterates on the elastic displacements - this could underestimate them in case of seismic loads, where the code requires you to multiply your elastic displacements by R to get the anticipated plastic values.
As far as I can remember, there is no need to consider k-factors greater than 1.0. but then again, I haven't read the CISC handbook since the 1992 (approx) edition...
Remember, having the top end of your column sway increases the effective length, so the 2 concepts (eff. length for bucklng and moment magnification) are somewhat related.
tg