EAT 115/4

Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki Wan Omar
Lecture 5:
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.

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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).
EI
L2
2E
cr
L / r2

Pcr

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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

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
6
4
6
4
From Appendix B, A 5890 mm , I x 45.5 10 mm , I y 15.3 10 mm

By inspection, buckling will occur about the yy axis.

2 EI 2 200 106 15.3 10 4 1 / 1000

Pcr 2
1887.6 kN
2
L
4
4

When fully loaded, the average compressive stress in the column is

P
1887.6 1000
cr cr
320.5 N/mm 2
A
5890
Since this stress exceeds the yield stress,
P
250
P 1472.5 kN (Ans)
5890
Lecture 1: Combined Loadings
EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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,
2 EI
Pcr
KL 2

2E
cr
KL / r 2

KL/r = effective-slenderness ratio

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings
EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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 2 5 10 m

KL y 0.7 5 3.5 m
For yy axis buckling, K = 0.7,
The critical loads for each case are

P cr x

2 EI
2 EI

424 kN , P cr y
1.31 MN
2
2
KL x
KL y

The allowable load and critical stress are

P
P
424
424
Pallow cr
141 kN , cr cr
56.5 MPa 215 MPa
3
FS 3.0
A 7.5 10

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

The Secant Formula

Due to symmetry of loading, both the maximum

deflection and stress occur at the columns midpoint.

When x L / 2, v vmax , so vmax

e sec

P L
1
EI 2

* Notice that if e approaches zero, vmax approaches zero.

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings
EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

The Secant Formula

Secant formula states that
max

P
ec L
1 2 sec
A
r
2r

EA

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

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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.

Pcr y

2 EI y

KL 2y

2 200 103 20.4 106

5136 kN
2
2800

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

P
Y x
A

ec KL x
1 2 sec
rx

2rx

Px

EA

1.895 106 Px 1 2.598 sec 1.143 10 3 Px

Px 419368 N 419.4 kN (Ans)
Lecture 1: Combined Loadings
EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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.
2 Et
cr
KL r 2
Engesser equation

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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

The slenderness ratio is

/ 4 15
r
2
15
KL 1 600

80

7.5 mm

7.5

2 Et
1.54210 3 Et
Engesser equation states that cr
2
KL r
For elastic critical stress, E

150
150 GPa thus cr
0.001

Inelastic buckling occurs since cr pl 150 MPa

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings
EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

231.3 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 1.54210 3 120103 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 cr A 185.1 0.015 131 kN (Ans)

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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.

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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

I d

A 4

2 2 E
2 2 210 103

107.3
Y
360
c
12 2 E
d 55.42 56 mm (Ans)
For a fixed-end column, K = 0.5. thus allow
2
23 KL r
We have KL
r

KL 0.5 51000

179
56 / 4
r
Since 107.3 < 179 < 200, the above used equation is appropriate.
For this design, we must check the slenderness-ratio limits,

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

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
2598.1

b
Iy / A

Since slenderness ratio is not known, we will begin as

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

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

KL 2598.1

209.5 12
r
12.40

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

P 378125

A KL / r 2

60 103
378125

2b b
2598.1 / b 2
b 27.05 mm (Ans)
Substituting into the equation, we have

KL 2598.1

96.0 55 OK
r
27.05

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

Design of Columns for Eccentric Loading

The bending moment M = Pe is caused by eccentric

loading which must be accounted for when the

column is designed.
Maximum compressive stress is max P Mc
A I
For conservative design, max allow
When designing an eccentrically loaded column,
required area needed to support the load P is
Aa

a allow

a = allowable stress for the axial load

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings
EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

Example 13.14
The timber column is made from two boards nailed together so that the cross
section has the dimensions shown. If the column is fixed at its base and free at its
top, determine the eccentric load P that can be supported.

Solution:
Since K = 2,

KL 21200

40
d
60

Since 26 < KL/d < 50, the allowable axial stress is

allow

3718
3718

2.324 MPa
KL / d 2 40 2

With allow = max,

Lecture 1: Combined Loadings

EAT115/Strength of Materials
Dr. Wan Mohd Sabki

P Mc

A I
P
P
2.324

60120 1 12 600 120 3

allow

P 3.35 kN (Ans)