LECTURE #3

COLUMN BUCKLING
Short compression members will fail once the stress exceeds the compressive yield strength of the
material. However, long compression members will fail due to buckling before the yield strength
of the member is reached. Buckling occurs suddenly, and is characterized by large deflections
perpendicular to the axis of the column.

Euler Formula for Long Columns

The Euler column formula can be used to analyze for buckling of a long column with a load applied
along the central axis:

In the equation above, σcr is the critical stress (the average stress at which the column will buckle),
and Pcr is the critical force (the applied force at which the column will buckle). A is the cross
sectional area, L is the unsupported length of the column, r is the radius of gyration of the cross
section, and E is the elastic modulus of the material. K is the effective length factor, and accounts
for the end conditions of the column.

Slenderness Ratio

In the Euler column formula, the quantity L/r is referred to as the slenderness ratio:

RS = L/r
The slenderness ratio indicates the susceptibility of the column to buckling. Columns with a high
slenderness ratio are more susceptible to buckling and are classified as "long" columns. Long
columns are analyzed with the Euler formula.

Columns with Eccentric Loading

In practice, loads are commonly applied at an offset from the central axis. These eccentric
loads can be the result of design, or the result of deviations introduced during manufacture
or assembly.

The eccentricity ratio relates the eccentricity of the load to the cross section dimensions:

Re = ec/r2
where e is the eccentricity, c is the centroidal distance, and r is the radius of gyration.

The compressive stress calculated above accounts for the axial stress as well as the bending
stress due to the moment. The moment arm is a combination of both the eccentricity and the
maximum deflection in the column.

The critical force is the value of the applied force, P, at which the maximum compressive stress
in the column equals the compressive yield strength of the material. This value of critical force is
denoted Pcrit. The equation for maximum compressive stress cannot be solved directly for Pcrit,
and so the solution must be found iteratively.

Note that the equation for maximum compressive stress is a function of the average stress, P/A,
and so the value Pcrit/A is the value of the average stress at which the maximum compressive
stress in the column equals the material yield strength:

σcrit = Pcrit / A

Since sources will vary in which formulation is used, it should be noted that the following are
equivalent:
The secant formula used for eccentric columns is only valid for pinned-pinned or fixed-free
columns. The differential equation used to derive the secant formula does not apply to a fixed-
pinned column. For a fixed-fixed column, the concept of an eccentrically applied load has no
meaning since the effect of the eccentricity is to induce a moment at the ends of the beam, and any
moment at the ends of the beam would be resisted by the fixed supports and would not induce any
bending in the column.

EXAMPLE
The uniform column AB consists of a 2.4 m section of a structural tubing having the cross section
of 2284 mm2, moment of inertia I of 3.3 x 106 mm4 and c=50 mm.
 Use Euler’s formula and a FOS 2 to determine the allowable centric load for the column
and the corresponding normal stress.
 Assuming that the allowable load, found is the part above, is applied as shown at a point
18 mm from the geometric axis of the column. Find the horizontal deflection of the top of
the column and the maximum normal stress in the column.
Use E = 200 GPa.
P

100 mm

100 mm
I=AK2
Assumptions:
 Fixed-free ends

 Pcr = π2 EI
Le 2
Le=2.0L

Le=2(2.4)

Le = 4.8 m

Pcr = π2 (200x109) (3.33x106)

4.82

Pcr = 285, 293.25 N or 285.293 KN

σa = Pa /A
= 142.7 x 103/2284 x 10-6

σa = 62.5 MN/m2
b) Ymax = e [sec (π √Pa/Pcr) -1]
2

= 22.5 mm
CASE 2
STRUCTURES HAVING INITIAL CURVATURE
Ymax = Pcr xC
Pcr - P

EXAMPLE
A hallow circular steel strut with both ends pinned has a length 2.44m, external diameter 101mm
and internal diameter 89mm. Before loading the strut, it is bent with a maximum deflection of
4.5mm. Assuming the centre line is sinusoidal, calculate the maximum stress due to a central
compressive load of 10 KN. Take E=205,000 N/mm2.