Russell C.

Hibbeler
Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns

Critical Load
Long slender members subjected to an axial

compressive force are called columns. Lateral deflection is called buckling. Maximum axial load a column can support when on the verge of buckling is called the critical load, Pcr.

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Ideal Column with Pin Supports

An ideal column is one that is perfectly straight

before loading. Load is applied through the centroid of the cross section. A column will buckle about the principal axis of the cross section having the least moment of inertia (the weakest axis).
Pcr cr EI L2 2 E 2 L/r
2

Pcr = maximum axial load cr = critical stress E = modulus of elasticity for the material I = least moment of inertia for the columns cross-sectional area L = unsupported length of the column r = smallest radius of gyration of the column L/r = slenderness ratio

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Example 13.2
The A-36 steel W200 X 46 member is to be used as a pin-connected column. Determine the largest axial load it can support before it either begins to buckle or the steel yields.

Solution:
2 From Appendix B, A 5890 mm , I x

45.5 106 mm4 , I y 15.3 106 mm4

By inspection, buckling will occur about the yy axis.

Pcr

EI L2

200 10 6 15 .3 10 4 1 / 1000 42

1887 .6 kN

When fully loaded, the average compressive stress in the column is Pcr 1887.6 1000 320.5 N/mm2 cr A 5890 Since this stress exceeds the yield stress, P 250 P 1472.5 kN (Ans) 5890
Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition
2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Columns Having Various Types of Supports

Euler is used to determine the critical load provided

L represents the distance between the zeromoment points. It is called the columns effective length, Le. A dimensionless coefficient K, effective-length factor, is used to calculate Le.
Le KL

Thus we have,
Pcr EI 2 KL
2 cr

E KL / r

KL/r = effective-slenderness ratio

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition
2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Example 13.4
The aluminium column is fixed at its bottom and is braced at its top by cables so as to prevent movement at the top 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 FS = 3.0. Take Eal = 70GPa, Y = 215MPa, A = 7.5(10-3)m2, Ix = 61.3(10-6)m4, Iy = 23.2(10-6)m4.

Solution:
For xx axis buckling, K = 2, KL
x
y

KL For yy axis buckling, K = 0.7,

EI 2 KL x
2

2 5 10 m 0.7 5 3.5 m
EI 2 KL y
2

The critical loads for each case are

P cr

424 kN , P cr

1.31 MN

The allowable load and critical stress are Pcr 424 Pcr 424 Pallow 141 kN , cr FS 3.0 A 7.5 10
Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition
2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

56 .5 MPa

215 MPa

The Secant Formula

Secant formula states that
P ec L 1 2 sec A r 2r P EA

m ax

max = maximum elastic stress in the column P = vertical load applied to the column e = eccentricity of the load P c = distance from the neutral axis A = cross sectional area of the column L = unsupported length of the column in the plane of bending E = modulus of elasticity for the material r = radius of gyration

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Example 13.6
The W200 X 59 A-36 steel column is fixed at its base and braced at the top so that it is fixed from displacement, yet free to rotate about the yy axis. Also, it can sway to the side in the yz plane. Determine the maximum eccentric load the column can support before it either begins to buckle or the steel yields.

Solution:
For yy axis buckling, it is subjected to an axial load P.
2

KL For xx axis yielding, it is subjected to an axial load P and moment M.

Y

Pcr

EI y
2 y

200 103 20.4 106 28002

5136 kN

KL x Px ec 1 2 sec A rx 2rx

Px EA
3

1.895 106 Px

Px 1 2.598sec 1.143 10

Px

419368 N 419.4 kN (Ans)

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Inelastic Buckling
Long slender columns become unstable when under

compressive stress (elastic instability). Intermediate columns fail due to inelastic instability. Short columns simply yields or fractures. Modulus of elasticity for the material can be taken as the tangent modulus, Et.
cr

Et KL r

Engesser equation

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Example 13.7
A solid rod has a diameter of 30 mm and is 600 mm long. It is made of a material that can be modelled by the stressstrain diagram. If it is used as a pin-supported column, determine the critical load.

Solution:
The radius of gyration is r
The slenderness ratio is

I A

/ 4 15 2 15

7.5 mm

KL r

1 600 7.5
cr

80

Engesser equation states that

Et KL r

1.542 10

Et

For elastic critical stress, E

150 150 GPa thus 0.001

cr pl

cr

231 .3 MPa

Inelastic buckling occurs since

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition
2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

150 MPa

Solution:
From the second line segment of the graph,

Et

270 150 120 GPa 0.002 0.001

Applying the value, we have

cr

1.542 10

120 10 3

185 .1 MPa

Since this value falls within the limits of 150 MPa and 270 MPa, it is critical stress. The critical load on the rod is therefore

Pcr

0.015 cr A 185.1

131kN (Ans)

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Design of Columns for Concentric Loading

To account for the behaviour of different-length

columns, several formulas will best fit the data within the short, intermediate, and long column range.

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Example 13.9
The steel rod is to be used to support an axial load of 80 kN. If Est = 210(103) MPa and Y = 360 MPa, determine the smallest diameter of the rod as allowed by the AISC specification. The rod is fixed at both ends.

Solution:
The radius of gyration for circular cross section is r We have

I A

d 4

KL r

2
c

210 103 360

allow

107.3

For a fixed-end column, K = 0.5. thus

12 2 E 23 KL r

55.42 56 mm (Ans)
179

KL 0.5 5 1000 r 56 / 4 Since 107.3 < 179 < 200, the above used equation is appropriate.
For this design, we must check the slenderness-ratio limits,
Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition
2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Example 13.10
A bar having a length of 750 mm is used to support an axial compressive load of 60 kN. It is pin-supported at its ends and made from a 2014-T6 aluminium alloy. Determine the dimensions of its cross-sectional area if its width is to be twice its thickness.

Solution:
Since KL = 750 mm is the same for both xx and yy axis buckling,

KL ry

KL Iy / A

2598.1 b

Since slenderness ratio is not known, we will begin as

P 195 b 12.40 mm A Checking the slenderness ratio, we have

KL r 2598.1 209.5 12 12.40

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Solution:
Try the equation which is valid for KL/r > 55:

P A 60 10 3 2b b b

378125 2 KL / r 378125 2 2598 .1 / b 27 .05 mm (Ans)

Substituting into the equation, we have

KL r

2598.1 96.0 55 OK 27.05

Chapter 13: Buckling of Columns Mechanics of Material 7th Edition

2008 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd