Aim

To study the lateral buckling behavior of steel I-beams and to determine the critical moment.
Details of the test specimen

Apparatus used
1. Loading frame: On both ends, a simple loading frame supports the steel I-beams. Because the compression flange is not
constrained, it can move laterally. A hanger at the halfway point of the beam allows weights to be hung. A circular disc
with holes placed so that the load is applied at the level of the top flange for one beam and the level of the centroid axis
for the other beam is used to deliver the load at the level of the top flange for one beam and the level of the centroid axis
for the other beam.
2. Weights: For this experiment, the beam will be loaded in 20 kg increments.
3. Strain gauges: Used to measure strain at various points along a beam.
4. Dial Gauge: There are two dial gauges, one at the bottom for calibrating the vertical deflection of the beam and one at the
top for calibrating the horizontal deflection of the beam. The least count on this dial gauge is 0.1 mm.
Sketch of Experimental Setup

Background
Lateral Torsional Buckling of Beams
When a simple beam is loaded in flexure, the top side compresses, and the bottom side tensions. When an axial force is applied
to a slender member, failure occurs due to bending or torsion rather than direct compression of the material. If the beam is not
supported in the lateral direction (i.e., perpendicular to the plane of bending), the flexural load will reach a critical limit and the
beam will fail due to lateral buckling of the compression flange. If the compression flange buckles laterally in wide-flange
sections, the cross-section will also twist in torsion, resulting in a failure mode known as lateral-torsional buckling.
Brief Description of Southwell plot
The Southwell method is a plotting technique used to estimate the critical load and initial geometric imperfections of a column
at loads less than the buckling load using experimental load and deflection data.
The lateral deflection vs. deflection to load ratio plot of a column approaches a straight line, whose inverse slope and abscissa
intercepts are the critical load and the initial lateral imperfection of the column, respectively, according to this method.
Lateral buckling strength Mcr ( IS: 800 - 2007)

Procedure
Two simply supported I-sections (ISMB 100) are loaded by a concentrated load at their mid-span using weights on a
hanger. The vertical and lateral deflections are measured using circular dial gauges. One is loaded at the level of the
top flange and the other is loaded at its centroidal axis level.
1. The nominal bending strength of the two beams (code value) is to be determined
2. Practice reading the dial gauges by slackening the string (do not pull the strings) and identify its least count.
3. The dial gauge is loaded in increments of 20 kg and the results are recorded
4. The buckling mode is to be noted from one end of the beam.
Observations
Table – 1: Dial Gauge Readings – Top flange Loading

Load Strain 1 Strain 2 Strain 3 Strain 4 Lateral Deflection Vertical Deflection

0 -2.10910392 0.16502093 -0.64199936 0.424986 0.8 23.2

20 -7.98882389 -58.213974 65.7619934 25.51044 2.8 25

40 -15.3672962 -133.956345 128.481262 42.68392 5.5 27.8

60 -12.3064957 -206.852661 183.851456 81.06147 7.2 29.9

80 -9.53730869 -291.967316 248.560028 98.7368 9.8 32.1

100 -2.35098386 -395.134827 318.296082 109.4835 13.6 34.9

120 23.6115627 -502.859619 400.747803 115.2592 18.4 37.7

100 20.1777706 -426.484283 331.400543 99.78118 16 35.6

80 0.13337304 -323.820892 251.564316 91.33346 11.8 32.7

60 -7.05973339 -223.022461 186.385544 74.48775 8.2 30.2

40 -8.86366081 -134.279602 129.559555 48.21551 5.6 28

20 -6.51945877 -64.6271896 65.8659744 21.1792 3.3 25.5

0 8.86818218 1.35181558 0.48149961 2.823441 0.9 23.1

Table – 2: Dial Gauge Readings – Shear center Loading

Load Strain 1 Strain 2 Strain 3 Strain 4 Lateral Deflection Vertical Deflection

0 -0.63295716 -0.41368273 -1.5394423 -0.48828 4.2 17.5

20 34.896286 35.4320374 -39.8017044 -31.9666 4 18.5

40 72.4962006 75.8169632 -77.3157196 -59.3917 3.6 20

60 107.600456 113.274467 -118.093987 -88.076 3 21.4

80 138.904709 151.08461 -162.685822 -118.155 2.1 22.9

100 170.310684 192.952469 -204.809113 -146.609 1.3 21.4

120 202.033142 231.510864 -247.452347 -174.613 0.6 25.7

140 235.200104 272.806793 -286.808716 -203.961 0.1 27.4

160 261.791077 312.262634 -335.736298 -230.672 71.1 28.8

180 289.550781 355.647339 -378.998932 -259.528 70.3 30

200 316.982697 402.535889 -427.838348 -281.987 69.2 31.6

220 348.684814 443.673584 -476.82019 -309.154 68.4 33

240 367.479126 489.567505 -527.056641 -325.464 67 34.5

220 299.867981 423.111542 -459.838867 -244.471 65 33.6

200 296.296295 419.960297 -459.450043 -245.339 66.1 32.5

180 274.215118 373.291016 -420.808014 -220.95 67 31

160 250.958481 319.164124 -365.842468 -192.254 68.4 29.9

140 219.638397 284.998016 -316.587097 -177.673 69.5 28.5

120 196.926544 241.219986 -270.684143 -157.814 70.7 26.9

100 168.992783 195.226593 -226.485641 -129.878 71.6 25.5

80 129.283768 158.813477 -169.080948 -116.31 1.4 24

60 94.2360229 113.848648 -129.937073 -84.2692 1.8 22.2

40 70.0254059 74.52845 -85.5690308 -56.67 2.3 21.1

20 29.5477982 37.1907539 -47.7814865 -27.1539 3.1 19.5

0 -1.34955513 -5.57228374 -5.54063606 -1.92148 4.1 18

DETAILED CALCULATIONS
Table – 3: Top flange Loading
Load (kg) Lateral Deflection Vertical Deflection Delta P / N
0 0 0
20 2 1.8 0.010194
40 4.7 4.6 0.011978
60 6.4 6.7 0.010873
80 9 8.9 0.011468
100 12.8 11.7 0.013048
120 17.6 14.5 0.014951
100 15.2 12.4 0.015494
80 11 9.5 0.014016
60 7.4 7 0.012572
40 4.8 4.8 0.012232
20 2.5 2.3 0.012742
0 0.1 -0.1

Table – 4: Shear centre Loading

Load (kg) Lateral Deflection Vertical Deflection Delta P / N

0 0 0
20 -0.2 1 -0.00102
40 -0.6 2.5 -0.00153
60 -1.2 3.9 -0.00204
80 -2.1 5.4 -0.00268
100 -2.9 3.9 -0.00296
120 -3.6 8.2 -0.00306
140 -4.1 9.9 -0.00299
160 -5.1 11.3 -0.00325
180 -5.9 12.5 -0.00334
200 -7 14.1 -0.00357
220 -7.8 15.5 -0.00361
240 -9.2 17 -0.00391
260 -12.7 18.8 -0.00498
280 -13.8 20.3 -0.00502
260 -13.1 19.1 -0.00514
240 -12 17.5 -0.0051
220 -11.2 16.1 -0.00519
200 -10.1 15 -0.00515
180 -9.2 13.5 -0.00521
160 -7.8 12.4 -0.00497
140 -6.7 11 -0.00488
120 -5.5 9.4 -0.00467
100 -4.6 8 -0.00469
80 -2.8 6.5 -0.00357
60 -2.4 4.7 -0.00408
40 -1.9 3.6 -0.00484
20 -1.1 2 -0.00561
0 -0.1 0.5
Plots

Top Flange Loading

Southwell Plot - Top flange loading

0.016
y = 0.0003x + 0.0097
0.014

0.012
Delta/P (mm/N)

0.01

0.008

0.006

0.004

0.002

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
lateral deflection (mm)

Deflection vs Load plot - Top flange loading

20
18
16
14
DEFLECTION (MM)

12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
LOAD (KG)
Shear Centre Loading

Southwell Plot - Shear center loading

0
-16 -14 -12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0

-0.001

-0.002
Delta/P (mm/N)

-0.003

-0.004

-0.005

-0.006
lateral deflection (mm)

Deflection vs Load plot - Shear center loading

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
-2

-4

-6
Deflection (mm)

-8

-10

-12

-14

-16
Load (kg)
Calculations

Top flange Loading

Pcr =

Mcr = Pcr × (Bending Moment at Mid-span due to point loading at centre

From Southwell Plot, we get

Slope = 0.0003
Pcr = = 3.33 KN
.
Mcr = Pcr × = 4.1666 KNm
Mcr as per IS 800 = 3.35 KNm

Shear centre Loading

Pcr =
Mcr = Pcr ×

From Southwell Plot, we get

Slope = 0.0002
Pcr = = 5 KN
.
Mcr = Pcr × = 6.25 KNm
Mcr as per IS 800 = 4.2 KNm

Conclusions

Mcr (KNm)
Experimental Theoretical
Top flange loading 4.166 3.35
Shear center loading 6.25 4.2

 A small difference between theoretical and experimental values has been observed. Following are the
possible reasons
 The beam might not be perfect
 Eccentricity in the loading.
 The Point of loading may not be exactly coinciding with the top flange/shear center.
• Human and instrumental errors might be other possible reasons
Images taken in the lab
Calculations with TA’s Signature