BUCKLING OF STRUTS

References
• James M Gere, Mechanics of Materials, 6th
edition (2004)
• R C Hibbler, Mechanics of Materials, 8th
edition (2011)

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 States of Equilibrium
• Stable Equilibrium
The deflection due to a force disappears when the force is
removed
• Neutral Equilibrium
The deflection due to a force does not disappear when the force
is removed.

• Unstable Equilibrium
At this stage, excessive deflections will occur leading to complete
collapse.

States of Equilibrium for Columns

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 States of Equilibrium for Columns

Buckling
• Buckling is a mode of failure in members subjected to
compression.
• For long slender members under compression, the
failure occurs due to large deformation in the lateral
direction, at a critical load, before reaching the yield
point of the material.
• This scenario is called “Buckling” Buckled column

• Buckling is also called elastic instability

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 Buckling of Ideal Columns
Ideal columns are assumed to be;
• perfectly straight
• Load is applied at the geometric center
• Made of homogeneous, linearly elastic material

Buckling of Ideal Columns

Moment – curvature relationship for small
deformations can be used to determine the critical
buckling load;

𝑑 𝑧
𝑀 = −𝐸𝐼 = −𝐸𝐼𝑤 "
𝑑𝑥

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 Buckling of Pin Ended Columns

From the equilibrium of the segment,

𝑀 = 𝑃𝑤

Using moment curvature relationship,

Buckling of Pin Ended Columns

Solution of homogeneous second order linear differential equation with
constant coefficients,

From the first boundary condition, C1= 0

From the second boundary condition, C2 sin(kl)= 0

For non-trivial solution, C2 ≠ 0, sin(kl) = 0

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 Buckling of Pin Ended Columns

C2 can be any arbitrary value

Critical load
• Critical load or critical buckling load is the smallest load at which the
neutral equilibrium is possible

• This can be achieved by setting n = 1 in the previously derived equations

for buckling load and buckling mode shape

• Critical buckling load for a pin ended column is called “Euler Load”

Critical buckling load for a pin-ended column

Critical buckling mode shape for a pin-ended column

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 Buckling Mode Shapes

C2
C2

C2

In case the first mode shape is prevented by any reason (eg:

intermediate lateral restraints), column will buckle in second
mode shape

Example 1
3 m long both ends hinged column carries a load of 300 kN.

a) Determine whether a solid section of 200 mm x 200 mm will be

able to carry the load. (E = 12.5 Gpa)

b) Determine whether a hollow rectangular section of 200 mm x

150 mm with a thickness of 20 mm will be able to carry the load.
Consider buckling about both the axes.
The critical buckling load of a pin ended column can be given as,

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 Buckling of Fix Ended Columns
FBD of a segment of column

M0 is the fixed end moment

Buckling of Fix Ended Columns

For the equilibrium,

By substituting the above in the moment curvature

relationship,

The solution for this non-homogeneous second order

differential equation consists of two parts; namely
complementary solution and particular solution

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Buckling of Fix Ended Columns

Complementary solution for the above second order differential equation,

Particular solution for the above second order differential equation,

𝑤 =𝑞 q is a constant

Particular solution alone should satisfy the second order differential

equation, therefore,

𝑀 𝑀
𝑤 =𝑞= =
𝑘 𝐸𝐼 𝑃

Buckling of Fix Ended Columns

Therefore the full solution,

Using the following boundary conditions to find unknowns,

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 Buckling of Fix Ended Columns
For all boundary conditions to be satisfied,

Critical load when n=1,

Equivalent length = l/2

This is 4 times the Euler load for a pin ended column

Buckling of Cantilever Columns

By following similar calculations as before, critical
buckling load of a cantilever column (fixed – free) can
be proved as,
𝜋 𝐸𝐼
𝑃 =
4𝑙

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 Factors Affecting Buckling
• Boundary condition
– Different buckling loads for different boundary
conditions
– Two axes can have two different boundary conditions
• Second moment of area
– Buckling occurs about the weaker axis (smaller second
moment of area)

Cumulative effect of above two factor decides the axis

about which the buckling occurs

Equivalent length
• Equivalent length is the length to be substituted in
the Euler equation to get the critical load for columns
under different boundary conditions

• It is the length between points with zero bending

moment (points of inflection)

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 Equivalent length

Summary
• Buckling is the lateral deflection of columns
subjected to compression
• Buckling of ideal columns occurs suddenly,
however, buckling of real struts will occur
gradually
• Buckling depend on the length of the column,
Young’s modulus, second moment of area and
the end conditions of the column
• Buckling occurs about the weaker axis when the
second moment of area about two orthogonal
axes are different

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 Summary (contd.)
• Critical buckling load of a column having any
boundary condition can be given as;
Euler equation

• Here, Le is the effective length of the column.

• Effective length depend on the end conditions
of the column.
• Effective length = factor accounting for the
end condition x actual length of the column

Example 2
Determine the maximum value of the axial load, the following
columns can carry before buckling occurs. EI = 2000 kNm2
1. 3 m high pin – pin column
2. 5 m high fixed – fixed column
3. 3 m high cantilever column
4. 4 m high fixed – pin column

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 Quiz
• Draw first, second and third mode shapes of buckling
for a pin-pin column
• Draw the first mode shape for a fixed-fixed column
and a cantilever column
• Write the Euler equation of buckling and name all
the terms.
• Determine the critical buckling load of a fixed-fixed 3
m long column made of steel. Cross sectional area of
the column is 200 mm x 100 mm.

Example 3
(Mechanics of Materials, RC Hibbeler)

An aluminum column is fixed at its bottom and is braced at its

top by cables so as to prevent movement along the x axis. If it is
assumed to be fixed at its base, determine the largest allowable
load P that can be applied. Use a factor of safety for buckling of
3. Young’s modulus of aluminum is 70 GPa. Yield stress is 215
MPa, cross sectional area of the column is 7.5x10-3 m2, second
moment of area about x and y axes are 61.3x10-6 m4 and
23.2x10-6 mm4, respectively.

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 Example 3 (contd.)
Answer:
141 kN

Example 4

Answer: 109.7 kN

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 Example 5

Answer: 2

Example 5 (contd.)

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 Example 6

Ans: 1: 1.047: 1.209

Critical Buckling Stress of Ideal

Columns
• For ideal columns, the axial compressive load is
concentric. Therefore, stress can be written as;
𝑃 𝜋 𝐸𝐼
𝜎 = = 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝐿 = 𝐾𝐿
𝐴 𝐴𝐾𝐿
𝜋 𝐸𝑟 𝜋 𝐸
𝜎 = =
𝐾𝐿 𝐾 𝐿 𝑟
  𝐼
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, r = = radius of gyration
𝐴
L/r = slenderness ratio

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 Buckling of Real Struts
• So far, we considered buckling of perfectly straight
columns with centrally applied axial loadings which is
a ideal situation.
• However, real struts may contain imperfections such
as,
– Initial curvature
– Eccentric loading

Buckling of Real Struts

• When ideal struts are axially loaded, buckling
suddenly occurs; lateral deflection suddenly
occurs
• When real struts are axially loaded, gradual
lateral deflection occurs even before buckling
due to imperfections

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 Buckling of Columns with Eccentric
Loads
Eccentric loading in the first
figure is statically equivalent to
a concentric axial load acts
together with a moment as
shown in the second figure.

-w Now, if we write an expression

for bending moment at any
point, it will look as follows;

𝑀 = 𝑃𝑒 − 𝑃𝑤
𝐸𝐼𝑤 " = 𝑃𝑒 − 𝑃𝑤

Buckling of Columns with Eccentric

Loads (contd.)
𝐸𝐼𝑤 " = 𝑃𝑒 − 𝑃𝑤
Solution for the above equation can be given as;
𝑘𝐿
𝑤 𝑥 = −𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑛 sin 𝑘𝑥 + cos 𝑘𝑥 − 1
2
 
Where, 𝑘 =
The above equation shows the lateral deflection of the column
at any arbitrary load P
Unlike in perfect (ideal) columns, columns with eccentric
loads starts showing the lateral deflection even before
buckling occurs. (Note that for ideal columns lateral
deflection occurs suddenly at Pcr and the magnitude of
deflection is undefined.
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 Buckling of Columns with Eccentric
Loads (contd.)
𝑘𝐿
𝑤 𝑥 = −𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑛 sin 𝑘𝑥 + cos 𝑘𝑥 − 1
2

Using the above equation, maximum lateral deflection of a pin

ended column with eccentricity can be obtained and it is as
follows;
𝜋  𝑃
𝑤 = 𝛿 = 𝑒 sec −1
2 𝑃

This maximum deflection for a pin ended column occurs at the

center of the column (x = L/2)

Buckling of Columns with Eccentric

Loads (contd.)
Figure below shows the variation of maximum
deflection against the eccentric axial load P of a pin
ended column.

𝜋  𝑃
𝑤 = 𝛿 = 𝑒 sec −1
2 𝑃

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 Buckling of Columns with Eccentric
Loads (contd.)
• Equations discussed above are for a column with pin
ends.
• However, for a free - fixed column, the same equation
derived for deflection (w(x)) can be used by replacing L
with 2L.
• However, for a pin – fixed column this is not valid and
hence derivations need to be done from the first
principles
• For a fixed – fixed column, eccentricity does not do any
difference in the case of buckling.

The Secant Formula

• When the column is subjected to eccentric load, stress is
caused due to direct axial compression plus the moment
created by the eccentricity.
• Therefore, stress at any point can be written as below;
𝑃 𝑀 𝑦
𝜎= ±
𝐴 𝐼
• Using the above equation, maximum stress is written as;
𝑃 𝑒𝑐 𝐿   𝑃
𝜎 = 1 + 𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝐴 𝑟 2𝑟 𝐸𝐴

Here, r is the radius of gyration

c is the distance from the neutral axis to the outer most
point in the side of eccentric axial load
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 The Secant Formula (contd.)
• Secant formula given in the previous slide was also
derived for pin ended column.
• However, for fixed free column the same can be used
after replacing L with 2L.
• For other boundary conditions, this formula is not
valid.

Buckling of Columns with Initial Curvature

Initial curvature – w0
From moment curvature relationship,

From moment equilibrium,

Solution for the above differential

equation explains the buckling of a
column with initial curvature.
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 Buckling of Columns with Initial
Curvature (contd.)

• Similar to the columns with eccentric loading, here

also columns will not suddenly buckle, instead will
gradually bend

• The above equation was derived for a pin – pin

column.

Example 7
Plot the load-deflection diagram for a pin ended column with
eccentric axial load if the eccentric e of the load is 5 mm and the
column has length of 3.6 m. Moment of inertia and modulus of
elasticity are 9x106 mm4 and 210 GPa, respectively. Plot axial
load as Y axis and deflection at the midpoint (maximum
deflection) as the X axis.

• Calculate Pcr using Euler formula.

Answer: • Rearrange this equation in a way that P is in
the left hand side and all the other terms are
in the right hand side. You will get the
𝜋  𝑃 following equation.
𝑤 = 𝛿 = 𝑒 sec −1
2 𝑃 5
𝑃 = 583.33 𝑐𝑜𝑠
𝛿+5
Here, P is in kN and δ is in mm.
• Draw the diagram for different values of δ.
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 Example 8
A brass bar (E = 100 GPa) with square cross section is
subjected axial forces having a resultant P acting at distance
e from the center. The bar is pin supported at the ends and
is 0.6 m in length. The side dimension b of the bar is 30 mm
and the eccentricity e of the load is 10 mm. If the allowable
stress in the brass is 150 Mpa, what is the allowable axial
force?

Answer: 37.2 kN

Hint: Trial and error procedure is needed

to find the answer

Example 9
A pin ended column of length 2.1 m is constructed of steel pipe
(E=210 GPa) having inside diameter of 60 mm and outside
diameter of 68 mm. A compressive load of 10 kN acts with
eccentricity of 30 mm.
a) What is the maximum compressive stress in the column?
b) If the allowable stress in the steel is 50 MPa, what is the
maximum permissible length of the column?

Answers: 38.8 MPa, 5.03 m

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Answers

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