Final answer:
The steel ratio to concrete ratio is 1:99 when 1% of the total column size is made of steel, with the remaining 99% being concrete.
Step-by-step explanation:
To compute the steel ratio to concrete ratio when the steel used in the column is 1% of the total size of the column, one must think in terms of percentages. If steel represents 1% of the total, the remaining percentage must represent the concrete. Thus, the concrete would be 99% of the total. The ratio is therefore the representation of steel percentage to concrete percentage.
The correct steel to concrete ratio, given a 1% steel use, is 1:99. This is because for every part steel, there are 99 parts concrete, reflecting the percentage usage of each material within the column.