Engr. John Carlo H.

Abala
MECHANICS OF
DEFORMABLE
BODIES
 COLUMNS
Engr. John Carlo H. Abala, CE, RMP
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INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the session the students should be able to:

o Solve for the support reactions and deflection of statically

indeterminate beams
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I N T RO D U C T I O N
The term column is applied to a member
that carries a compressive axial load.
C R I T I C A L L OA D S O F
COLUMN
COLUMN

Columns are generally subdivided into the following three

types according to how they fail:
• Short columns fail by crushing (e.g., yielding). Even if loaded
eccentrically, a short column undergoes negligible lateral
deflection, so that it can be analyzed as a member subjected
to combined axial loading and bending.
COLUMN

• Long columns fail by buckling. If the axial load is

increased to a critical value, the initially straight
shape of a slender column becomes unstable,
causing the column to deflect laterally, and
eventually collapse. This phenomenon, which is
known as buckling, can occur at stresses that are
smaller (often much smaller) than the yield stress or
the proportional limit of the material.
COLUMN

• Intermediate columns fail by a combination of crushing and

buckling. Because this mechanism of failure is difficult to
analyze, intermediate columns are designed using empirical
formulas derived from experiments.
Critical Load
Critical Load: Euler’s Formula

𝜋 2 𝐸𝐼
𝑃𝑐𝑟 = 2
𝐿

This is the smallest value of P that is capable of maintaining the lateral

displacement.
Critical Load (Simply Supported Column)

Effective length Le = L

𝜋 2 𝐸𝐼
𝑃𝑐𝑟 = 2
𝐿
Critical Load (Built-in Ends Column)

Effective length Le = L/2

Critical Load (Cantilever Column)

Effective length Le = 2L
Critical Load (Propped Cantilever Column)

Effective length Le = 0.7L

Critical Stress

The critical load obtained from is physically meaningful only if the

stress at buckling does not exceed the proportional limit.

The stress in the column just before it buckles may be found by

substituting I = Ar2 into, where A is the cross-sectional area and r is
the least radius of gyration of the cross section.
Critical Load

Select the lightest W-shape that can be used as a steel column 7 m

long to support an axial load of 450 kN with a factor of safety of 3.
Use σpl = 200 MPa and E = 200 GPa. Assume that the column is (1)
simply supported; and (2) a propped cantilever.
Intermediate Column

Critical stress versus

slenderness ratio
for columns.
Intermediate Column

NOMINAL BUCKLING STRESS

 Intermediate Column

Criteria for nonslender sections

Intermediate Column

Using AISC specifications, determine the design strength of a W360

x 122 section that is used as a 9-m-long column. Assume that the
column has (1) simple supports at both ends; and (2) a simple
support at one end, with the other end being built-in.
Use E = 200 GPa and σyp = 350 MPa (A992 steel).