2.

0 Bending of Beams
☻2.1 Revision – Bending Moments

☻2.2 Stresses in Beams

x x
P
x
Mxz Mxz
☻2.3 Combined Bending and Axial Loading
P1

P2
☻2.4 Deflections in Beams

2.5 Buckling (Refer: B,C & A –Sec’s 10.1, 10.2)

MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams
2.5 Bars Under Axial Compression - Buckling
(Refer: B, C & A–Sec 10.1, 10.2)
Euler, Leonard (1741)
For bars or columns under compressive loading, we may witness a
sudden failure, known as buckling.
This is a form of instability.
Consider load, P, plotted against
P P horizontal displacement, v.

Point of Bifurcation

Short, Thick Long, Slender v

MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams
 Consider a long slender bar under axial compression:

y
v
P P
d
y z
L b
x
x P
P Mxz=-P.v
From the Engineering Beam Theory:
d2 v
EIz  2  Mxz  P  v
dx
d2 v
 EIz  2  P  v  0
dx
2 P d2 v
Let     2
v0 Euler Equation
EIz dx 2

MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams

 d2 v 2 General Solution: v  A Sinx  B Cosx
2
  v0
dx
(i) @ x=0 v0
Boundary Conditions:
(ii) @ x=L v0
dv
(Also, (iii) @x=L/2, 0)
dx

From (i): 0  A Sin 0   B Cos 0   B0

 v  A Sinx
From (ii): 0  A SinL
• If A=0, v=0 for all values of x
(i.e. The bar remains straight – NO BUCKLING)

• If Sin L=0, then (possible buckling solutions)

 L  0,  , 2 , 3 , ...
MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams
 The Lowest Real Value: L  
2 P  2 PC
Since    2 
EIz L EIz
Where PC is the Critical or Euler Buckling Load.

For buckling (i.e. at point of bifurcation):

P  2EIz (Iz is the smallest 2nd

PC 
L2 Moment of Area)
L  2
P 4 2EIz
PC 
L2
Points of
v Bifurcation
 2EIz
PC 
L2
L  
P
v
MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams
 PC  2 EIz 
Let C   C 
A AL2
I L
Let Kz2 (Radius of Gyration)  z , and S (Slenderness Ratio) 
A Kz
L2
 2 E 
 S2  2  C 
Kz S2

C
Unstable
Short, Yield Empirical
Thick Euler Stress
Material
Yielded
Stable
Long,
Slender 0 S
MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams
 End Constraints: Free or Pinned Ends
 2 EIz 
P P PC 
L2
L
Fixed Ends
L/2
4 2 EIz 
P P PC 
L2
L
One End Free
2L
& One End Fixed
P P  2 EIz 
PC 
L 4L2

One End Pinned

 2L & One End Fixed
P P 22 EIz 
PC 
L L2
MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams
Example: Find the shortest length L of a Pin-Ended strut, having a
cross-section of 60mm x 100mm for which the Euler
Equation applies. Assume E=200 Gpa and Yield=250 MPa
 2 EIz 
Euler Eqn., C 
AL2
Iz Min. value, i.e. Iz 
100 60 
3
 1.8  10 6 mm4
12

C  2 200  109 1.8  10 6 

 L  1.54 m
250  10 0.1 0.06
6

Yd Euler L 2 Iz
Theory Note: S  & Kz 
=250 MPa Kz A
1.54
 S  90
 1.8  10 6 
 0.1 0.06 
 
0 90 S
MECHENG242 Mechanics of Materials Bending of Beams