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Flexural-Torsional Buckling of Arches

Article · January 1987

DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1987)113:4(889)

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2 authors:

John P. Papangelis N. S. Trahair

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FLEXURAL-TORSIONAL BUCKLING OF ARCHES

By John P. Papangelis 1 and Nicholas S. Trahair, 2 M. ASCE

ABSTRACT: A flexural-torsional buckling theory for circular arches of doubly

symmetric cross section is developed. Nonlinear expressions for the axial and
shear strains are derived, and these are substituted into the second variation
of the total potential to obtain the buckling equation. Closed form solutions are
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

obtained for arches subjected to equal and opposite end moments (uniform
bending), and to uniformly distributed radial loads (uniform compression), and
for circular rings subjected to uniformly distributed radial loads. The results are
compared with previous solutions.

INTRODUCTION

When a curved beam or arch is loaded in its plane, the beam may
buckle by deflecting laterally out of its plane a n d twisting. A closely
related problem is the flexural-torsional buckling of an initially straight
member, where the effects of the pre-buckling in-plane displacements
transform it into an equivalent "negative" arch. While analytical solu-
tions of these problems have been available for some time (Timoshenko
and Gere 1961; Trahair and Woolcock 1973; Vacharajittiphan a n d Trahair
1975; Vacharajittiphan, et al. 1974; Vlasov 1961), recent theoretical stud-
ies (Yoo 1982; Yoo a n d Pfeiffer 1983; Yoo a n d Pfeiffer 1984) have cast
doubt on their accuracy. The purpose of this p a p e r is to investigate fur-
ther the conflict between the previous a n d the recent solutions.
The flexural-torsional buckling of arches h a s b e e n investigated theo-
retically by a number of authors. Timoshenko a n d Gere (1961) obtained
closed-form solutions for the elastic buckling of a simply supported arch
of narrow rectangular cross section u n d e r the action of equal a n d op-
'Research Student, School of Civ. and Mining Engrg., Univ. of Sydney, N.S.W.
2006, Australia.
2
Challis Prof, of Civ. Engrg., School of Civ. and Mining Engrg,, Univ. of Syd-
ney, N.S.W. 2006, Australia.
Note.—Discussion open until September 1, 1987. To extend the closing date
one month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Manager of Journals.
The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and possible publication
on May 2, 1985. This paper is part of the Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol.
113, No. 4, April, 1987. ©ASCE, ISSN 0733-9445/87/0004-0889/$01.00. Paper No.
21053.

889
 posite end moments (uniform bending) and pin-ended arches subjected
to a uniformly distributed radial load (uniform compression). In their
analysis, expressions were obtained for the curvatures and twist of a
buckled arch in terms of the original in-plane radius of curvature, R,
and the lateral deflection, u, and axial rotation, c|>, out of the original
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plane, and for the components of the applied loading that acted about
the deflected and twisted axes. These were then used to establish the
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governing differential equations for the out-of-plane bending moment

and torque.
Vlasov (1961) extended this to arches of monosymmetric I-section. His
analysis established the governing equations for the distributed out-of-
plane load and torque per unit length. His solution for the elastic critical
moment, M c , of a doubly symmetric I-section arch of initial radius, R,
and arch length, L, in uniform bending can be expressed as

M0 +r + 1+fl 2
iH.'- 1 0)

in which a = (2)
TTR
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

TTM0
b= - (3)

ir2EL
M0 = Py\GJ + (4)

ir2E/„
P» = (5)

where Py = the flexural buckling load of a straight column; M 0 = the

flexural-torsional buckling moment of a straight beam in uniform bend-
ing; and a is positive when the arch is in the normal attitude and neg-
ative when inverted. In Eq.l only the positive square root is given, since
the negative square root corresponds to a sign reversal for the sense of
the moment. Although the effects of the pre-buckling in-plane deflec-
tions were ignored in the derivation of Eq. 1, they may be accounted
for by interpreting R as the final radius of in-plane curvature just before
buckling, instead of as the initial radius (Vacharajittiphan and Trahair
1975). For narrow rectangular beams (Iw = 0), Eq. 1 reduces to the so-
lution of Timoshenko and Gere (1961).
Goldberg and Bogdanoff (1962) presented a solution for the out-of-
plane buckling of monosymmetric I-section ringbeams under uniform
radial loading, while Cheney (1963) considered the effects of distributed
elastic restraints. Rotter and Jumikis (1985) investigated the buckling be-
havior of stiffened ringbeams in silos. Ojalvo, et al. (1969) studied the
stability of curved members subjected to collinear forces applied at the
end points. Computer methods have also been presented that allow nu-
merical solutions to be obtained for the buckling of arches under more
general loading conditions (Vacharajittiphan and Trahair 1975; Wen and
Lange 1981; Yoo and Pfeiffer 1983).

890
 The elastic flexural-torsional buckling of arches has been reanalyzed
recently by Yoo (1982), who obtained closed form solutions for arches
under either uniform bending or uniform compression. His solution for
a doubly symmetric I-section arch in uniform bending can be expressed
as
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—£ = (1 - a2)[-ab + V(a2b2 + 1)] (6)

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M0
This is clearly different from the previous solution of Eq. 1. Subsequent
studies by Yoo and Pfeiffer presented a finite element method of ana-
lyzing arches under general loading (1983), and considered the effects
of the pre-buckling in-plane deflections (1984).
Yoo (1982) concluded that Vlasov's solution (Eq. 1) was incorrect for
two reasons. First, Eq. 1 does not predict a buckling moment of Mc =
0 for the case where a = L/TTR = — 1, when the simply supported semi-
circular arch can buckle in a rigid body mode. However, this criticism
is not well-founded on two counts. First, it can be shown from the deri-
vation of Eq. 1 by Vacharajittiphan and Trahair (1975), that the out-of-
plane curvature (u" + dp/R) and the twist (()>' — u'/R) are zero every-
where for this case, so that each term in the governing differential equa-
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

tions disappears when Mc = 0, which is therefore a solution. Secondly,

it can be argued that the rigid body buckling mode which occurs is of
a different character from the mode corresponding to Eq. 1, since the
rigid body mode causes no straining and therefore cannot cause yielding
and subsequent failure. A similar rigid body mode has been predicted
for a cantilever that is not prevented from rotating in plan about its sup-
port (Trahair 1983).
Yoo's second reason for criticizing Eq. 1 was that Vlasov was in error
in substituting:

the rate of change, or curvature terms into the straight beam

governing differential equations for stability to obtain the curved
beam solutions . . . because if the curvature terms are substituted
into the straight beam differential equations for static behaviour
the curved beam equations [of Vlasov] would not be obtained.

Yoo (1982) instead substituted the curvature terms into an expression

for the total potential and derived his differential equations by using the
calculus of variations (Bleich 1964). His equations agree with the Vlasov
(1961) equations for the static behavior (i.e., with no stability effects) of
curved beams. However, his use of curvature terms in his potential en-
ergy expression (which incorporates the stability effects) was made with-
out proof.
In their discussion of Yoo's study, Rajasekaran and Ramm (1984) re-
ported a comparison of the results of a finite element study with those
of Eqs. 1 and 6 for an arch with L/itR = ±0.5 and TTM0/PVL = 0.0479.
They found values of Mc/M0 = 0.0723, 11.73, which are close to the Eq.
1 values of 0.0712, 10.53, and very different from the Eq. 6 values of
0.732, 0.768.
It can be seen that both Vlasov's and Yoo's solutions for the flexural-
891
 torsional buckling of arches are in doubt. The purpose of this paper is
to attempt an independent theoretical solution.

DISPLACEMENTS AND STRAINS

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A length 5s along the centerline 01 of an undeformed arch, which sub-

tends an angle G = 8s/R, is shown in Fig. 1. The local z axis is tangent
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to the centerline, and the local y axis lies in the plane of the arch. Also
shown in Fig. 1 is an arc P 0 Pi joining two points P 0 / Pi, which have
the same local x, y coordinates. It can be shown (Papangelis and Trahair
1985) that for small angles 0, the arc length can be closely approximated
by the chord length

P0Pi = 11 - £ I 5s (7)

When the arch deforms, the point 0 deflects u, v, w to a new position

0', and the point 1 deflects to 1' (Fig. 1). The axes x0, yo, Zo rotate suc-
cessively through angles Gx, 9 y , 92 into their new directions x'0l y'a, z'0
(Fig. 2). It can be shown (Papangelis and Trahair 1985) that these angles
are given by
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

e
*-- | o ' + i) + (° ,+ Dr-I m
W
Gy =
'-l M' (8b)

0 , = «t». (8c)
where the prime ' means differentiation with respect to the distance s
along the centerline, and that the direction cosines [TR] of the angles
between the x'0r y'0, z'0 and x0, y0, z 0 directions are given by

2 2
-ez '»y

«X "2
[TR] GZ + GjGy
1 - - - - -e» (9)
2 2
— 8y + 9*6;. %x + 9y02 1-
2 2
The twist T of the deformed arch can be obtained by considering the
rates of change of the direction cosines [TR] of the axes between 0' and
1' (Love 1944). It can be shown (Papangelis and Trahair (1985) that the
twist is given by

T = U ' -
v (10)
R
When the arch deforms, the arc P 0 Pj deflects to P'0P[ (Fig. 1). Note
that the planes through 0', 1' have rotated Qx, %y and that the points
P'Q, PJ have deflected out of these planes because of the twist T. Thus
892
 h
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Deformed Arch
Centre-Line

FIGS. 1.—Displacement of Arch Centerline

J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

' 1 0 0 '
> 0 cos6„ -sin8,
fa
0 sinB, cos8x
1*
U

cose. 0 sin8„
0 1 0
-sinSy 0 cos8y
{i}

cos8, -sine, 0
sinB, cosB, 0
0 0 1 1}

FIG. 2.—Rotations 9,, 9V, 9 2 : (a) Rotation 9* about x0 Axis (x0,y0,z0) —»

(*i,yi,z,); (b) Rotation 9„ about yl Axis {xllyl,zl) -> (x 2 ,y 2 ,z 2 ); (c) Rotation
92 about z2 Axis (x 2 ,y 2 ,z 2 ) -* {x'0,y'0,z'0)

893
 the coordinates of PQ are

\x0\ \u
f" + [TR]1 y (11)
P6
ZoJ U a™T
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in which the warping function, aw, for a thin-walled section is given by

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(Trahair 1977)

Po dsc I tds Po dsc (12)

in which t = the wall thickness; p0 = the perpendicular distance from

the shear center to the midthickness tangent; and sc = the distance around
the midthickness line.
It can be shown (Papangelis and Trahair 1985) that the coordinates of
P[ are given by

|*o 0 I (u + du
tR(l - c o s 6 ) | - + [TjK v + dv
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

20J R sin 9 J I w + dw I

+ [TrW* + dTR] (13)

aw(-v + dt)\

1 0 0
in which [Tt ] = 0 cos 0 sin 0 (14)
.0 -sin 0 cos 0
and the elements of [TR + dTR] may be obtained from the elements of
[TR] (Eq. 9) by substituting 0* + dQx, 0y + rf0y, 0Z + d0 z for %x, 0 y ,
ez.
The longitudinal normal strain e at the point x, y is closely approxi-
mated by
(PiPl-PoPQ
(15)
PoPi
in which the arc length of the chord P 0 PJ may be approximated by the
chord length calculated from the coordinates of Po and P{. It can be
shown (Papangelis and Trahair 1985) that this can be expressed as
(AzL + AzQ) (Asj; + Ay|)
(16)
V
1- - 2 1-
R i?.

in which AxL, Ay L , AzL are the linear components of P 0 Pi/Ss, which

can be obtained from

894
 [ "' 1
AxL) w
Ay A = < v' + -
R>
ML) V
w'
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I R)
0
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D' +-
U' - -
\ R (17)
R R
u
v" +
-[U" +
-R R
and AzQ is the quadratic component obtained from
U
AZo = X{ -[v'+l)- Mv' + u \w - •

(b2 v
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

1 / W
+ yyUu'<)))'
|V + — + —\v' + - v' + w, - —
' 2R 2R\ R R

v+
"•H ( ' 1 • • - j i -
u'\v" + •
R-
(18)

The transverse normal strains implied by Eq. 11 are zero, as are the
shear strains in the midplane of the thin-walled section. However, there
are shear strains parallel to the midthickness surface that are associated
with uniform torsion (Timoshenko and Gere 1961). These strains are
closely approximated by 7 = -ItT, and if Eq. 10 is substituted, then this
becomes

7= -It *'- u'iv" + (19)

R R'

TOTAL POTENTIAL, EQUILIBRIUM AND BUCKLING

Total Potential.—The total potential (Langhaar 1962) of a strained length

L of the arch element and its loading system shown in Fig. 3 can be
expressed as
(•L

UT = - \ (Ee2 + G7 2 ) dV • (pw + qv)ds

2 Jv
+ 2 (-Pw~ Vv- MQX). (20)
1,2

In-Plane Equilibrium.—For the purpose of determining the in-plane

(u = (|> = 0) equilibrium equations, it will be assumed that the deflections
v, w are small enough that the strains (Eqs. 16 and 19) can be linearized
895
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FIG. 3.—Arch Element and Loading

as
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

w
'-|)-yr+T
(21)

y\*" + v
e = \W (22)

R
and 7 = 0 (23)
Note that the strain e varies nonlinearly with y as a result of the (1 —
y/R) term. Because of this, there are nonlinear normal stresses present,
together with corresponding shear stresses and strains. The considera-
tion of the complete strain distribution leads to difficulties that most in-
vestigators have sought to avoid by making certain simplifying assump-
tions.
The most common assumption is to linearize the variation of e with y
by ignoring the (1 - y/R) term. If this is done in Eq. 21, then the result
is (Smith and Simitses 1969)

6=,
r-i)-yr+T (24)

which differs slightly from the corresponding result (Vlasov 1961)

( v\ ( v
e = \w (25)

896
 obtained from Eq. 22. Note that these two results are identical for all y
when the axis (y - 0) is unextended, in which case iv' = v/R. Smith
and Simitses (1969) argued that it was valid to assume that the axial
extension (w' - v/R) is small in ring buckling problems.
It can be shown (Papangelis and Trahair 1985) that by setting the first
variation of the total potential equal to zero for all admissible virtual
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displacements from the equilibrium position v, w, the expressions for

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the in-plane equilibrium equations

M;
P' - + Vp = 0 . (26)
R

+ M'x + q = 0 (27)
R
can be derived from Eq. 24, in which

P= EA(W' (28)

w (29)
Mx= -EIx\v" +'—
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

x\ R

where A = fA dA; and Ix = fAy2dA. Eqs. 26 and 27 are the same as those
given by Vlasov (1961).
In terms of the displacements, these equations become
Eh w
EA\w v" + — + p =0 (30)
R R R
EA
w -ElAv" +w = 0. (31)
~R
These differ slightly from those of Yoo (1982) as a consequence of the
slight difference between Eqs. 24 and 25.
In-Plane Buckling.—During in-plane buckling, the deformations change
from v, w to v + ev, w + ew, as shown in Fig. 4(a). The in-plane buckling
equation can be obtained by setting the second variation of the total
potential to zero, so that

= 0. (32)
\de2
If the quadratic version of Eq. 20 is used, then this leads to

+ e- dAds + ^lMA-- w v' +• 0 . . . (33)

de2 ) 1,2 VR
It can be shown (Papangelis and Trahair 1985) that this equation be-
comes
2
rt- r / -\
EAIW'-^J +EIX v" + uo + IP + Mi
-
~R ~R

897
 + 2M' w ds = 0. (34)
R w v' + -
Out-of-Plane Buckling.—during out-of-plane buckling, the deforma-
tions change from o, v, w, o to eil, v + ev, w + ew, e<j> as shown in Fig.
4(fc). For this analysis, it will be assumed that the effects of the pre-
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buckling displacements v, w can be ignored, and that the buckling mode

is one for which v = w = 0. These assumptions are reasonable provided
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that the ratio of the in-plane flexural rigidity EIX to the out-of-plane flex-
ural rigidity EIy is relatively high.
It can be shown (Papangelis and Trahair 1985) that the expression for
the buckling equation for out-of-plane stability of a circular arch can be
derived by setting the second variation of the total potential to zero as
in Eq. 32, where
rl r ( T\ 2 / _„\ 2 , _,\ 2
E «" +
+ - ) +£ +G
l{ 4" !) 4"-7) '(*'-7f) +EI

,2
+p J<j> + r2 V + MJ2u"4> + ds = 0, (35)
R R
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

in which ly = fA x2dA; lw = fA aid A; J = JA U2dA; r\ = IJ A; and r2 =

ly/A. The first three terms in Eq. 35 are equivalent to the strain energy
expression given by Yoo (1982). However, the terms associated with P
and Mx differ from the corresponding terms in Yoo's potential energy

• Pri-buckling path

I _^r—Buckling path

elv.w)

- g B = - V,W

• Pra-buckling path

Buckling path
1.0

W ^Ssmv. U , 0

FIG. 4.—Pre-Buckling and Buckling Deformations: (a) In-Plane; (d) Out-of-Plane

808
 expression. For straight beams (R = °°), Eq. 35 simplifies to

[EIvii"2 + EIW4>"2 + GJ$'2 + P(u'2 + rU'2) + 2MI«"4>]ds = 0 (36)

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in which rij = r* + r j .
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SOLUTIONS

In-Plane Buckling of Arches and Rings.—Fig. 5 shows a pin-ended

circular arch of radius R and arc length L subjected to a uniformly dis-
tributed load q. For this loading case, the solution of the in-plane equi-
librium equations (Eqs. 26 and 27) is Mx = 0, P = -Rq. For inextensional
buckling, the axial strain (w' - v/R) is zero, in which case Eq. 34 sim-
plifies to

Eljv" + ^-J -Rqlv'+^j ds = 0 (37)

The inextensional (w' = v/R) buckled shape for the arch may take the
form of
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

/ttTrs\
w = A sin I I (38a)

, =A(—)cos(-j (38.)

in which A = the maximum value of w; and n = an integer. Substituting

Eqs. 38 into Eq. 37 yields
. n3n3R nit\ (~n2<n2R 1
L
- = 0....... • (39)

Apart from the trivial A = 0, the solution of Eq. 39 is given by

2/
(40)

Note that when rrnR/L = 1, the solution of this equation is indetermi-

nate. The physical explanation of this is that for this case the arch is
semicircular or a ring, and displaces laterally in a rigid body mode.
A complete circular ring (L = 2irR) under uniform compression (Fig.
6) will first buckle in four half waves with four inflexion points at 90°
intervals around the initial circumference of the ring. (Compatibility re-
quires an even number of half waves, and the solution for two half waves
corresponds to a rigid body translation, with no straining.) Thus, the
solution for this case can be obtained by setting n = 4, where
899
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FIG. 5.—Arch in Uniform Compression FIG. 6.—Ring in Uniform Compression

M©
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

FIG. 7.—Arch in Uniform Bending

4ET,
<?c = (41)
R3
which agrees with the result obtained by Smith and Simitses (1969) for
the conservative force system in which the directions of the load q re-
main unchanged. The result obtained by Yoo (1982) is similar to Eq. 41
except that the 4 is relaced by 3. This is the correct result (Smith and
Simitses 1969) when the loads remain normal to the deformed ring dur-
ing buckling, which is a nonconservative force system. However, Yoo
states in his assumptions that his force system is conservative.
Out-of-Plane Buckling of Arches in Uniform Bending.—Fig. 7 shows
a simply supported circular arch of radius R and arc length L subjected
to two equal and opposite end moments M. Under this type of loading
there is no axial force in the arch, and so Eq. 35 reduces to

ElAW' + l) +EIwU"--\ +GJU'- —

R R R

+ M, 2*"*+ £ ds = 0 (42)

The buckling displacements for the simply supported arch may take
the form of
' wns
u = Bj sin (43a)

900
 ntrs
cj> = B 2 sin (43b)

in which B\ and B2 = the maximum values of u a n d <}>, respectively.

Substituting Eqs. 43 into Eq. 42 yields
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kn k\2
{BXB2}
{*;} = 0. (44)
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K21 K22

n2Tr2EI„
GJ +
n2v2EIu
in which ku (45a)
R2
n2ir2EL
GJ + -
Ely
k2i = ka =-M- (45b)
R R
ML2 EIUL2 n2ir2EK
km — + GJ + - (45c)
Rn2ir2 R2n2v
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

The least value for the critical m o m e n t Mc will occur w h e n n = 1, for

which the buckled shape consists of a single half wave extending over
the length L of the arch. Putting the determinant of Eq. 44 equal to zero
and solving for the critical m o m e n t yields

Mc ba a ba a 1 . ,
— =-ab + + -ab + K
+(l-a2)2 (46)
M0 2 2b 2 2b '

For a straight beam (R = °°), Eq. 46 reduces to

This Paper
Vlasov
Yoo

W M

-1.0 -0.1 —f, —^ ^ 7 0 t o <U 0.6 —!7

FIG. 8.—Critical Moments for Arch in Uniform Bending

901
 =1 (47)
M~0
in which M 0 is given by Eq. 4. Eq. 47 represents the classical value of
the critical moment obtained previously (Timoshenko and Gere 1961,
Vlasov 1961).
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Eq. 46 can be compared with the results obtained by Vlasov (1961)

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(Eq. 1) and Yoo (1982) (Eq. 6). Fig. 8 shows the variation of the dimen-
sionless critical moment Mc/M0 with a = L/-nR for sections with different
values of b = irMo/PyL. It can be seen that the results of this paper are
generally close to those of Vlasov, especially for small values of b. How-
ever, they are quite different from those of Yoo, especially at low values
of a. For the extreme case of a semi-circular arch in which the loading
increases the curvature (a = —1.0), Yoo obtained the value of zero, which
was discussed earlier.
Out-of-Plane Buckling of Arches in Uniform Compression.—For an
arch under uniform radial loading, there is no moment in the arch and
P = -Rq (see first subsection under "Solutions"). Eq. 35 then reduces
to
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

ElJu" + ^\ +EIJV--) +G/U'--

R R R

Rq V' + rW + r'M' ds = 0 (48)

R
The buckling displacements will again take the form of Eqs. 43. Sub-
stituting these into Eq. 48 and ignoring the terms rl/R2 and rl/R2 as
being small compared to unity, yields
Ml M2 |Bil (49)
{BiB2} = 0.
Ml M2. B-
n2iT2EIu
2 2 G/ + -
n Tr EL
in which ku - —cjR + • 2 + (50a)
L R2
n27t2EI
GJ +
Ml ~" M2 ~~ (50b)
R R
ElyL2 n2Tt2EIw
M2 —
+ GJ + (50c)
R2n2ir-
Putting the determinant of the matrix in Eq. 49 equal to zero and n =
1 will yield the following expression for the critical radial load
qcR = (1 - a2)2
(51)

902
 Numerical solutions of Eq. 51 have been obtained for the I-section shown
in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 shows the variations of the dimensionless critical radial
load qcR/Py with a = L/TTR for the solutions of Timoshenko and Gere
(1961), Vlasov (1961), Yoo (1982), and Eq.51. For low values of a, all the
solutions for qR approach the Euler load P y for a straight column, while
for a = 1.0, all solutions predict a zero buckling mode corresponding to
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a rigid body rotation about the diameter of the semi-circular arch. Else-
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where, the results of Eq. 51 are in close agreement with Timoshenko

and Gere, but differ markedly from those of Vlasov and Yoo.
Out-of-Plane Buckling of Rings in Uniform Compression.—A com-
plete ring will buckle in 4 half waves, if the rigid body mode of two half
waves is prevented. In this case the half wavelength L is equal to trR/
2, and the solution can be obtained from Eq. 51 by setting a = L/TTR =
0.5, where

qcR %2
(52)
4(1 + 4b2)
This result is shown at the value of a = 0.5 in Fig. 10. The results ob-
tained by Goldberg and Bogdanoff (1962), Cheney (1963), and Rotter and
Jumikis (1985) are also shown in this figure, and it can be seen that these
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

are in good agreement with Eq. 52.

Torsional Buckling of Rings in Uniform Compression.—For the ring
to buckle in a purely torsional mode, the out-of-plane displacement must
be restrained so that only twisting of the cross section is allowed. Setting
u = 0 in Eq. 48 yields

EIyV
+ EIW<$>"2 + G/cf)'2 - RqrW2 ) ds = 0 (53)
R2

Substituting Eq. 43b into Eq. 53, noting that for a ring L = 2TTR, then

Ring

Vlasov
Yoo
This Paper
Timoshenko

(Goldberg & Bogdanoff

Cheney
Rofter & Jumikis

A=90 E=200,000
1=45002.5 G=W23
U562.5 v=0.3
4=506250 U5000
J =30

FIG. 9.—I-Section Geometry FIG. 10.—Critical Radial Load for Out-

of-Plane Buckling of Arches

903
 4EJ V n2EIw
qerlR = ^+GJ + — Z^ (54)
n 4R
The critical radial load can be obtained by minimizing Eq. 54 with re-
spect to n. This occurs when
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»2 = 4 R A / ( § * ) (55)

Eh
2
qcr 0R EL V \EIy
where ^-^— = 1 + 2—^ (56)
GJ GJ R
Noting that for an I-section, V(Iw/Iy) = h/2, the half depth of the
section, it can be seen that the dimensionless buckling load increases
linearly with the ratio h/R. Solutions of Eq. 56 agree well with those of
Cheney (1963), Goldberg and Bogdanoff (1962), Rotter and Jumikis (1985),
Vlasov (1961), and Yoo (1982). For the straight beam case (R = °°), all
the solutions yield the torsional buckling load for a straight beam.
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonlinear expressions for the axial and shear strains were derived for
a circular member of doubly symmetric cross section that deforms in
three-dimensional space. These expressions were substituted into the
second variation of the total potential to obtain the buckling equation.
Sine functions were used for the buckling displacements, and closed-
form solutions were obtained for the critical loads for arches in uniform
bending and for arches and rings in uniform compression.
These solutions (and those of other authors) differ from those of Yoo
(1982), which supports the statement by Rajasekaran and Ramm (1984)
that neither Yoo nor Vlasov (1961) has presented a consistent derivation.
Yoo's formulation involved a ". . . substitution of the curvature terms
in the strain energy and potential energy expressions of the straight
beam," while Vlasov ". . . substituted the curvature terms in the straight
beam differential equations." Their derivations, therefore, are not based
on first principles, but are merely substitutions of curved beam terms
into straight beam equations. The derivation presented in this paper
analyses a curved beam from first principles to obtain the curved beam
buckling equations, and no reference is made to straight beam equa-
tions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This paper forms part of a program of research into the stability of

steel structures being carried out in the School of Civil and Mining En-
gineering at the University of Sydney. The work was supported by the
Australian Research Grants Scheme, and by a Commonwealth Post-
Graduate Research Award provided by the Australian Government.

904
 The advice and suggestions m a d e by J. R, Booker, G. J, Hancock and
J. M. Rotter are gratefully acknowledged.

APPENDIX !.—REFERENCES
No other uses without permission. Copyright (c) 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers. All rights reserved.

Bleich, F., Buckling Strength of Metal Structures, McGraw-Hill, New York, N.Y.,
1964.
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 07/18/12. For personal use only.

Cheney, J. A., "Bending and Buckling of Thin-Walled Open-Section Rings," Jour-

nal of the Engineering Mechanics Division, ASCE, Vol. 89, EMS, May, 1963, pp.
17-44.
Goldberg, J. E., and Bogdanoff, J. L., "Out-of-Plane Buckling of I-Section Rings,"
Publications, International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering,
Vol. 22, 1962, pp. 73-92.
Langhaar, H. L., Energy Methods in Applied Mechanics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
New York, N.Y., 1962.
Love, A. E. H., A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity, 4th ed., Dover,
New York, N.Y., 1944.
Ojalvo, M., Demuts, E., and Tokarz, F., "Out-of-Plane Buckling of Curved Mem-
bers," Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 95, ST10, Oct., 1969, pp.
2305-2316.
Papangelis, J. P., and Trahair, N. S., "Flexural-Torsional Buckling of Arches,"
Research Report R492, School of Civil and Mining Engineering, Univ. of Sydney,
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

Australia, 1985.
Rajasekaran, S., and Ramm, E., discussion of "Flexural-Torsional Stability of
Curved Beams," by Chai Hong Yoo, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, ASCE,
Vol. 110, EMI, Jan., 1984, pp. 144-148.
Rotter, J. M., and Jumikis, P. T., "Elastic Buckling of Stiffened Ringbeams for
Large Elevated Bins," Proceedings, Metal Structures Conference of the Institu-
tion of Engineers, Melbourne, Australia, 1985, pp. 104-111.
Smith, C. V., and Simitses, G. J., "Effect of Shear and Load Behaviour on Ring
Stability," Journal of the Engineering Mechanics Division, ASCE, Vol. 95, EM3,
Mar., 1969, pp. 559-569.
Timoshenko, S. P., and Gere, J. M., Theory of Elastic Stability, 2nd ed., McGraw-
Hill, New York, N.Y., 1961.
Trahair, N. S., The Behaviour and Design of Steel Structures, Chapman and Hall,
London, England, 1977.
Trahair, N. S., "Lateral Buckling of Overhanging Beams," Proceedings, Michael
R. Home Conference on Instability and Plastic Collapse of Steel Structures, L.
J. Morris, Ed., Granada Publishing, London, England, 1983, pp. 503-518.
Trahair, N. S., and Woolcock, S. T., "Effect of Major Axis Curvature on I-Beam
Stability," Journal of the Engineering Mechanics Division, ASCE, Vol. 99, EMI,
Jan., 1973, pp. 85-98.
Vacharajittiphan, P., and Trahair, N. S., "Flexural-Torsional Buckling of Curved
Members," Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 101, ST6, June, 1975,
pp. 1223-1238.
Vacharajittiphan, P., Woolcock, S. T., and Trahair, N. S., "Effect of In-Plane
Deformation on Lateral Buckling," Journal of Structural Mechanics, Vol. 3, No.
1, 1974, pp. 29-60.
Vlasov, V. Z., Thin-Walled Elastic Beams, 2nd ed., Israel Program for Scientific
Translation, Jerusalem, 1961.
Wen, R. K., and Lange, J., "Curved Beam Element for Arch Buckling Analysis,"
Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 107, ST11, Nov., 1981, pp. 2053-
2069.
Yoo, C. H., "Flexural-Torsional Stability of Curved Beams," Journal of the Engi-
neering Mechanics Division, ASCE, Vol. 108, EM6, June, 1982, pp. 1351-1369.
Yoo, C. H., and Pfeiffer, P. A., "Elastic Stability of Curved Members," Journal
of Structural Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 109, ST12, Dec, 1983, pp. 2922-2940.
Yoo, C. H., and Pfeiffer, P. A., "Buckling of Curved Beams with In-Plane De-

905
 formation," Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 110, ST2, Feb., 1984,
pp. 291-300.

APPENDIX II.—NOTATION
No other uses without permission. Copyright (c) 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers. All rights reserved.

The following symbols are used in this paper:

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A = cross-sectional area;
a = L/TTR;
b = aM0/PyL;
E = Young's modulus of elasticity;
G = shear modulus of elasticity;
h = distance between flange centroids;
Jm = warping section constant;
lx, Iy = major and minor axis second moments of area;
/ = torsion section constant;
L = arc length of arch;
Mx = bending moment about x axis;
M0 = flexural-torsional buckling moment of straight beam in
uniform bending;
J. Struct. Eng. 1987.113:889-906.

n = number of buckled half waves;

P = axial force;
Py = flexural buckling load of straight column;
p = uniformly distributed tangential load;
a = uniformly distributed radial load;
R = initial radius of arch centerline;
rx, ry = maximum and minimum radii of gyration;
r0 = V(r? + r));
s — distance along centerline of arch;
sc = distance around thin-walled section;
[TR] = transformation matrix for rotation of axes;
[Tx] = transformation matrix for axes at point 0 and point 1;
t = thickness of thin-walled section, or distance from mid-
thickness surface;
L7 T = total potential;
u, v, w = displacements in x, y, z directions;
u,v,w = buckling displacements in x, y, z directions;
V = shear force;
x,y,z = coordinate axes at centroid of section;
x',y',z' = coordinate axes at displaced centroid of section;
aw = warping function;
7 = shear strain due to uniform torsion;
€ = axial strain;
6 = angle subtended by arch;
=
9* / 6y / 82 rotations of cross section about x, y, z axes;
X = load factor;
p0 = perpendicular distance from shear center;
T = twist of deformed centerline;
4> = rotation of cross section about z axis; and
cj> = buckling rotation of cross section about z axis.

906
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