andPhysicsof Solids,1957,Vol. 6, pp. 2’7to 34. PergamonPressLtd.

, London
Journalof theMechanics

CREEP STABILITY OF COLUMNS AND PLATES

.I PROBLEM of creep stability of columns and plates is considered. In an analysis use is made
of two forms of the creep theory based on the strain hardening hypothesis. For a uniformly com-
pressed plate a c,omparison is made between the results according to the flow theory and strain
theory.

RECENTLY the problem of creep stability of columns and thin-walled structural

parts has drawn the attention of many investigators. However, in all the publica-
tions of which we are aware (HOFF 1954, 1956, ROZEXI~LW-11 1954) the subject
of the analysis is the buckling of columns which are slightly curved in their natural
state rather than the problem of stability in a direct sense. Most of these papers
are based on the creep equations in which time is introduced explicit,ly. Such a
description of the process cannot be recognized as accurate in principle ; the
application of this procedure is justified only by the simplicity of the calculations
and by the possibility of a good approximation to creep curves used in the analysis.
In investigating the stability of columns and plates we shall proceed from a
creep theory based on the strain hardening hypothesis (RABOTKOV 1956). In
this case the treatment of the stability problem in a direct sense is proved possible.
If at a certain moment a deviation from straightness or plane form is given to the
compressed column or plate under creep, the deflection will increase or decrease
during a subsequent short interval of time. According to whether the deflection
increases or decreases, the initial state is considered unstable or stable.
A quasi-static treatment of stability of motion under creep gives rise to certain
difficulties, and therefore only in the case of a column is a dynamic treatment of
the problem accepted. The result of this analysis makes possible a simplified
method to be used further for plates.

1. STABILITY OF A COMPRESSED COLUMN

According to the strain hardening theory, which will be accepted as a basic

physical hypothesis, creep is described by an equation containing stress, plastic
strain and plastic strain rate :

where P=E-:.
@ (0, PYP) = 0,
E (1.1)

27
28 (:. N. ~~AROTSO','
;IIlti s. .\. ~IIlXI.lIKIKOV

It is assumed that equation (I .I) has been intcgrated for the axial compression
in question wlicri is consbant
over the scct,ion and either the compressive load
0

or strain is given as a funckion of time. It. will also be assumed that the compressed
c~olumn bends, deilec+ion being sulkicntly small. Stress, total strain, and plastic
strain will receive small increments 60, 8~ ad 6~. For these increments one
obtains from (1 .l )
h&7 + @p + vsp -= 0. (1.2)
Here

h =- 3 2 p L 3?, v _ yy.
;\cr 2P P

Equation (1.2) can be written in the form

(Rh - p) sa ~ v&5 + R (/A -+ I&) = 0. (I 3)

The sections remaining plane, a rrlationship is obtained :

& = KZ.

Therefore. from (I .8). the c’onnexion between the bending moment 111and curvature
K follows :
(Eh ~ p) t/I “lil + E:J (/Lx -+ VI?) = 0. (1.4)

It is assumed that a deviation from straightness, or an impulse, is given to a column.

The equation of vibrations under condition (1.4) is

We can satisfy this equation for a simply supported column having length n by
assuming

y = 7 (t) sin 9.
a

The following equation for 7 (t) is obtained :

+ ;; (IJ> - I’) 7 $-

- VP] 7 = 0. (I.61

Here I-), is the Euler critical load. As the coclficients of 7 and 7 are positive,
the function will be decreasing if the following condition is satisfied :

EhP 1’
+p---“------ >o. (l-7)
P, ~-- I’ P, - Y

The rate of load application being small, the last term in the above relationship
can be omitted, so that
P 1
(1.8)
$3 --- 1 - (Eh,/p.)’
 Creep ststtility of rntumns and plates 29

2. li sI~~FI,IFI~~ $hBILITY ~~IT~f~IO~

An analysis of equation (1.5) in a general case is difficuk. However, to know

whether the column is stable or unstable, use can be made of the fact that if
relationship (1.7) becomes an equality a characteristic
equat-ion. chorresponding to
(1.6), has a zero root. It is worth noting that (1.6) is actually an equation with
variable coefficients but as the initial definition of stability relatzs to a sufficiently
small interval of time this interval ran always be chosen so small that the change
of coeffkients in (1.6) can be neglected. Now, in order to find the boundary of the
range of stability, we search for conditions under which equation (1.5) has a time-
independent solution y = u (z). It is easy to see that such a solution exists if
condition (1.7)is satisfied. Wishing to remain within the quasi-static treatment of
the problem, we could obtain the equatSon of equilibrium of an axially compressed
column on the basis of relationship (I .g). Assuming y = u (3) 7(t), one obtains

EJU” (EX - p) Pr - VP7 - VP; p

-_=-- 3.
u p-r + vi-
Hence the ratio 7 / 7 can be determined, the sign of this ratio indicating whether
the deflection increases or decreases with time. It is evident t,hat stability criterion
(1.7) follows from this.
Consider special forms of the creep law.

(a) @ z ; @ - Aon = a

equation (1.8) is reduced to

Here

1 A(U)

~ c t

aI

-f
0 cd7 1

Fig. 1.

Equation (2.2) admits a simple graphic interpretation (Fig. I). In the plane
0 - 7 the point A torr.esponds to elastic instability, the straight line {%.2) passes
through t.his point and intersects the T-axis at the point M,/IZ,The elastic strain 7,
corresponding to the stress 0, is represented by the.illterce~~t ab. When the creep
strain is equal to bc. a. loss of stability occurs.
30 (:. s. ~<ARW,‘NOV :td 5. .\. ~lII~:S,‘KI~ILCO\

PJ) @‘--pa - li exp ((r “4). (2.3)

In this case the critical value of the plastic strain is

(2.4)

When treating two-dimensional problems we have first to tix a certain initial

syst,em of creep equations. The cxt.rnsion of the strain hardening hypothesis to
the case of a t,hree-dimensional stress state can bc rralized by various procedures.
Consider the following variations of the theory.

(i) Flozu (or Incremental) Type Equutiolw

bij $g (pi* UJ Q”. (3.1)

Here uzj* is the stress deviator and pij the plastic strain tensor. It will be assumed
that the mat,erial is incompressible, and thtr

The invariants ai and pi are definrd as

Ci2 = 3 fJ..* q*, pi =

2 23
? 0

(ii) Straiw (or Total) Type Equatiom

39
Ezi.= -- a,@*.
“ai

The invariants ai and pi satisfy the following differential relationship

@ (Oi, pi, pi) = 0.

Here the invariant pi is defined as

To derive stability equations according to eit.her of these theories it will be

assumed that t.he basic stress state does not change with time. It will also be
assumed that KIRCHIIOW-I,CWIX hypothesis holds, namely

Here w is the deflection of the neutral surface. The additional strain of the neutral
surface at the stability limit equals zero.
The moments of internal forces are expressed as
 Creep stability of columns and plates 31

h(2sa,,*
G, =
-h
+ su,,*) xax, G, =
Ihpsu,,*+
-h
Sal,*) zdx,

Introduce the following symbols

H =

:
s h

-h
Sal2 xdx. (3.4)

*
a_
23
= 5i, a..*
21
= %.
“i ui
Further use will be made of a linear operator

P = aI s
L 2 + s g2+ 2a,, -Em
3x 3y

The equilibrium equation of a buckling plate can be written with the aid of this
operator in the form

a2 G,
-+
2x2
b2 G2
3y2
+2=
3x ay
+ 2h5 P (w) = 0. (3.5)

From (3.1) and the definition of the invariant pi, it follows that

pi = gui.

Giving small increments to pi and ui and integrating the resulting equation, we

obtain

S& = $(b + 1) e”(t-‘) Sui dr = gL Soi. (4.1)

s 0
Here

a=&% b=oi~.
’ 3pi’ g aui

Having equation (3.1) rewritten for .increments, and taking into account (4.1)
and ua3 = 0, we have

+ Siii = g + z -\t Suij* + au*g (uL + b) Soi. (4.2)

i ‘PI
In order to eliminate 6~~ one can multiply (4.2) by aij* and sum. Then

aii* St, = MSai. (4.3)

Here M is the operator

M = g (b + 1) + i $ + a&.

Introduce one more operator

Then Sai can be eliminated between equations (4.2) and (4.3) :

hii* = + IV-’ (Siij) - aii* g (aZ + b) (NM)-’ (xii* S+,.). (4.4)

32 (:. N. ~<AHO’I’XO\’ ;lllti 5. .\. SIIlH7'l~:RIKO\

Substitution of (4.4) il1t.o equations (8.4) yields

. . . . . . .

Substitution of (4.5) into the equation of equilibrium (3.5) gives the following
integro-different,iaI tquation of stability :

A1J(AAti) - 2 g (6 1 (IL,) PPti ~ -‘EL dl,VPzt~ -7 0. (4.6)

(Y/L)”

Through differentiation the operator h can bc climinatcd and the following

differential equation of stability results :

5. S7..4RII.I’I’\. 01.‘ I’I..ZT1:S Ll~~c~olcl,rsc: TO ‘1‘1112 Snc.4rs ‘I’trl3~l~Y

The relationship between the invariant,s ci and ci has t.hr same form as rclat.ion-
ship (1.1) for a one-dimensional cnase. Consccpcntly, St; and 60~ are c~onnectetl
by equat.ion (1.3) or an cqui\,alent relationship :

&Ii -= A St,. (5.1)

Here A designates a certain int,cgraI operator. Having (3.2) rewritten for incre-
ments kij and 6aij* in the case of a planr stress state, and using (5.1). WC have

Substitution of these expressions in (3.4) yields

. . . . . . .

The equation of’ stability is obtained as

(5.2)

6. ~~Nll'O1~hll.Y ~io~IPImssI.:I) PLATK

We will in\-estigate here this simplest problem, having in mind comparison of

analyses according to both theories. The power creep law of equation (2.1) is
assumed. It is also assumed that
 C’reep stability of cwlimt~~sawl plates 33

For an elastic plate the equation for deflection u (;t’, y) follows both from (4.7)
and from (5.2) :

A&M4$- _._.xz-
E (2h)2
Au = o. (6.1)
For q = pa a solution different from zero exists which satisfies the boundary
conditions.
Flow theory. It is assumed that w = UT (t). From (4.7) an equation for 7 is
obtained :

The signs of the coefficients of + and 7 are decisive for determining stability
conditions. For a further analysis use will be made of a particular form of the
creep law of equation (2.1). Then

g = ,+“- p;“, a =; “*ig b=n--1.

Pi '

Introduction of non-dimensionai quantities gives

(I--G);+Eg h-i_S; )
(l-,)-,-*(n~-l)] ;-+
I(

-t IPg2 *_Gz (I - 3;) - rzo 7=0

[ I
where
I&( q
7 = _.-, (T = -.
93 Qa
The boundary of the stability range in the plane a -7 will be a broken line
consisting of the straight line

-g=~+M(+;j) (6.2)
12

intersecting the r-axis at the point ($) (a/n), the bisector of the co-ordinate angle
at the point 7 = G = 2, and of the intercept on this bisector from the point (3, 3)
to the point (I, 1).
Strain theory. Separating the variables in equation (5.2) in a similar way one
obtains

A $2
This relationship indicates that 7 and l Oi 7 are connected by, the
i 3 i& -“; !
same differential equation as (1.3) in which they substitute for 8~ and au, respec-
tively. Consequently, a differential equation of the first order is obtained for T.
The derivative i becomes equal to zero under the condition
(6.3)