This paper makes an analysis and comparison of the calculatingsystem for second-order effect in columns of reinforced concrete frames proposedby scholars at home and abroad,and the systems adopted by codes of manycountries.The focus is on explaining the conceptual error and deficiency in somemethods.After expounding the basic law of the second-order effect in framecolumns with different restraints,this paper suggests an improvement of thecalculating system for second-order effect in frame columns for China's DesignCode of Concrete Structures.