In order to develop a verification method for extremely low cycle fatigue (ELCF) of steel structures, the initiation mechanism of ductile cracks is investigated in the present study, which is the first step of brittle fracture, occurred in steel bridge piers with thick-walled sections. For this purpose, a total of six steel columns with small width-thickness ratios were tested under cyclic loading. It is found that ductile cracks occurred at the column base in all the specimens regardless of cyclic loading histories subjected. Moreover, strain history near the crack initiation location is illustrated and an index of energy dissipation amount is proposed to evaluate deformation capacity of structures.