CE 579: STRUCTRAL STABILITY AND DESIGN

Amit H. Varma
Assistant Professor
School of Civil Engineering
Purdue University
Ph. No. (765) 496 3419
Email: ahvarma@purdue.edu
Office hours: M-T-Th 10:30-11:30 a.m.
 Chapter 3. Structural Columns

 3.1 Elastic Buckling of Columns

 3.2 Elastic Buckling of Column Systems – Frames
 3.3 Inelastic Buckling of Columns
 3.4 Column Design Provisions (U.S. and Abroad)
 Second-order differential equations for columns
 Simplify to:

1 E I x v  P v    P x0   0
2 E I y u  P u    P y0   0

3 E I w    ( P r02  G KT )    u ( P y0 )  v ( P x0 )  0

 Where
Ix  I y
r0  x  y 
2 2
0
2
0
A
 Column buckling – doubly symmetric section
 For a doubly symmetric section, the shear center is located at the
centroid xo= y0 = 0. Therefore, the three equations become uncoupled
1 E I x v  P v  0
2 E I y u   P u  0
3 E I w    ( P r02  G KT )    0
 Take two derivatives of the first two equations and one more derivative
of the third equation.
1 E I x viv  P v  0
2 E I y u iv  P u   0

3 E I w  iv  ( P r02  G KT )    0

P P P r 2
 G KT
Let , Fv2  Fu2  F2  0
E Ix E Iy E Iw
 Column buckling – doubly symmetric section

1 viv  Fv2 v  0

2 u iv  Fu2 u   0

3
 iv  F2   0

 All three equations are similar and of the fourth order. The
solution will be of the form C1 sin lz + C2 cos lz + C3 z + C4
 Need four boundary conditions to evaluate the constant C1..C4
 For the simply supported case, the boundary conditions are:
u= u”=0; v= v”=0; = ”=0
 Lets solve one differential equation – the solution will be valid for
all three.
 Column buckling – doubly symmetric section
v iv  Fv2 v  0
Solution is
v  C1 sin Fv z  C2 cos Fv z  C3 z  C4
 v  C1 Fv2 sin Fv z  C2 Fv2 cos Fv z
The coefficient matrix  0
Boundary conditions :
v(0)  v(0)  v( L)  v( L)  0  Fv2 sin Fv L  0
 sin Fv L  0
C2  C4  0 v(0)  0  Fv L  n 
C2  0 v(0)  0 P n
 Fv  
C1 sin Fv L  C2 cos Fv L  C3 L  C4 v( L)  0 E Ix L
C1 Fv2 sin Fv L  C2 Fv2 cos Fv L v( L)  0 n2  2
 Px  2 E I x
L
 0 1 0 1   C1  0  Smallest value of n  1:
 0 1 0 0  C2  0 
    2 E Ix
 sin Fv L cos Fv L L 1  C3  0   Px 
   
  Fv2 sin Fv L  Fv2 cos Fv L 0 0  C4  0  L2
 Column buckling – doubly symmetric section
Similarly, Similarly,
sin Fu L  0 sin F L  0
 Fu L  n   F L  n 
P n P r02  G KT n 
 Fu    F  
E Iy L E Iw L
n2  2  n2  2  1
 Py  2 E I y  P   2 E I w  G KT  2
L  L  r0
 2 E Iy Smallest value of n  1:
Smallest value of n  1: Py  2
L
 n2  2  1
P   2 E I w  G KT  2
 2 E Ix  L  r0
Px  1
L2
 2 E Iy
Summary Py  2
2
L
 2 E Iw  1
P   2
 G KT  2 3
 L  r0
 Column buckling – doubly symmetric section

 Thus, for a doubly symmetric cross-section, there are three distinct

buckling loads Px, Py, and Pz.

 The corresponding buckling modes are:

v = C1 sin(z/L), u =C2 sin(z/L), and  = C3 sin(z/L).

 These are, flexural buckling about the x and y axes and torsional
buckling about the z axis.

 As you can see, the three buckling modes are uncoupled. You must
compute all three buckling load values.

 The smallest of three buckling loads will govern the buckling of the
column.
 Column buckling – boundary conditions
Consider the case of fix-fix boundary conditions:
viv  Fv2 v  0
Solution is
v  C1 sin Fv z  C2 cos Fv z  C3 z  C4 The coefficient matrix  0
 v  C1 Fv cos Fv z  C2 Fv sin Fv z  C3  Fv L sin Fv L  2 cos Fv L  2  0
Boundary conditions : Fv L  Fv L Fv L 
 2 sin F L cos  2sin 0
2  2 
v
v(0)  v(0)  v( L)  v( L)  0 2
 C2  C4  0 v(0)  0 Fv L
  n
2
C1 Fv  C3  0 v(0)  0
2n
C1 sin Fv L  C2 cos Fv L  C3 L  C4 v( L)  0  Fv 
L
C1 Fv cos Fv L  C2 Fv sin Fv L  C3 v( L)  0 4 n2  2
 Px  E Ix
L2
 0 1 0 1   C1  0  Smallest value of n  1:
 Fv 0 1 0  C2  0 
       2 E Ix  2 E Ix
 sin Fv L cos Fv L L 1  C3  Px  
  0   0.5 L 
2
 K L 
2
 Fv cos Fv L  Fv sin Fv L 1 0  C4  0 
 Column Boundary Conditions

 The critical buckling loads for columns with different boundary

conditions can be expressed as:
 2 E Ix
Px 
 Kx L 1
2

 2 E Iy
Py  2
 K L
2
y

 2 E I  1
P   w
 G KT  2 3
  z 
2
K L  r0

 Where, Kx, Ky, and Kz are functions of the boundary conditions:

 K=1 for simply supported boundary conditions
 K=0.5 for fix-fix boundary conditions
 K=0.7 for fix-simple boundary conditions
 Column buckling – example.
 Consider a wide flange column W27 x 84. The boundary conditions are:
v=v”=u=u’==’=0 at z=0, and v=v”=u=u’==”=0 at z=L
 For flexural buckling about the x-axis – simply supported – Kx=1.0
 For flexural buckling about the y-axis – fixed at both ends – Ky = 0.5
 For torsional buckling about the z-axis – pin-fix at two ends - Kz=0.7
 2 E Ix  2 E A rx 2 2 E A
Px   
 Kx L  Kx L
2 2 2
 L
 x 
K
 rx 
 2 E Iy  2 E A ry 2
2
 2 E A  ry 
Py    2  
 K y L  K y L  K y L   x 
2 2
  r
 rx 
 
 
 2 E I  1  2 E I 2 A
P   w
 G K   w
 G K r
 x  x y
 T x  2
  K z L  r  I I
2 T 2 2
 r0  K L 
  z rx  
 Column buckling – example.
Px 2 E A 1 2 E 5823.066
    
L  A Y
2 2 2
PY   L L
 Kx  Y  Kx   
 rx   rx   rx 
 2 E A (ry / rx )  E (ry / rx )
2 2 2
Py 791.02
   
PY  L
2
A Y  L
2
L
2

 Ky  Y  K y   
 rx   rx   rx 
 
 
P   2 E I w 2 A 1
  G K r 
 x  x y
2 T x  r2  I  I A Y
PY
 K  L 
  z rx  
 
 
P   2 E I w 2 1
   G K r
 x  x y Y
T x  2
r  I  I 
2
PY
 K  L 
  z rx  
P 578.26
  2
 0.2333
PY L
 
 rx 
 Column buckling – example.
2

1.8 Flexural buckling Flexural buckling

about y-axis about x-axis
Critical buckling load / yield load (Pcr/PY)

1.6

1.4

1.2
Yield load PY
Cannot be exceeded
1

0.8

0.6 Torsional buckling about Torsional buckling

z-axis governs about z-axis
0.4

0.2 Flexural buckling about

y-axis governs
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

L-rx (Slenderness Ratio)

Px - flexural buckling Py - flexural buckling Pz - torsional buckling
 Column buckling – example.
 When L is such that L/rx < 31; torsional buckling will govern
 rx = 10.69 in. Therefore, L/rx = 31  L=338 in.=28 ft.
 Typical column length =10 – 15 ft. Therefore, typical L/rx= 11.2 – 16.8
 Therefore elastic torsional buckling will govern.
 But, the predicted load is much greater than PY. Therefore, inelastic
buckling will govern.

 Summary – Typically must calculate all three buckling load values to

determine which one governs. However, for common steel buildings
made using wide flange sections – the minor (y-axis) flexural buckling
usually governs.
 In this problem, the torsional buckling governed because the end
conditions for minor axis flexural buckling were fixed. This is very
rarely achieved in common building construction.
 Column Buckling – Singly Symmetric Columns
 Well, what if the column has only one axis of symmetry. Like the x-
axis or the y-axis or so.

 As shown in this figure, the x – axis

is the axis of symmetry.
y S
C  The shear center S will be located
on this axis.
 Therefore x0= 0.

x  The differential equations will

simplify to:
1 E I x v  P v  0
2 E I y u   P u    P y0   0
3 E I w    ( P r02  G KT )    u  ( P y0 )  0
 Column Buckling – Singly Symmetric Columns

 The first equation for flexural buckling about the x-axis (axis of
symmetry) becomes uncoupled.
E I x v  P v  0 (1)
 Equations (2) and (3) are still
 E I x v  P v  0
iv
coupled in terms of u and .
 viv  Fv 2 v  0
P 2 E I y u   P u    P y0   0
where, Fv 2 
E Ix 3 E I w    ( P r02  G KT )    u  ( P y0 )  0
 v  C1 sin Fv z  C2 cos Fv z  C3 z  C4
Boundary conditions
 These equations will be satisfied by
sin Fv L  0
the solutions of the form
 2 E Ix  u=C2 sin (z/L) and =C3 sin (z/L)
 Px 
( K x Lx ) 2
Buckling mod v  C1 sin Fv z
 Column Buckling – Singly Symmetric Columns
E I y u   P u    P y0   0 (2)
E I w    ( P r02  G KT )    u  ( P y0 )  0 (3)

 E I y u iv  P u      P y0   0
E I w  iv  ( P r02  G KT )    u  ( P y0 )  0

z z
Let , u  C2 sin ;   C3 sin
L L
Therefore, substituting these in equations 2 and 3
  z   z   z
4 2 2

E I y   C2 sin  P C2   sin  P y0   C3 sin 0

 
L L  
L L  
L L
  z   z   z
4 2 2

E I w   C3 sin  ( P r02  G KT )   C3 sin  P y0   C2 sin 0

L L L L L L
Column Buckling – Singly Symmetric Columns
  
2

  E I y    P  C2  P y0 C3  0
 L 
  
2

and  E I w    ( P r02  G KT )  C3  P y0 C2  0
 L 

 2 E Iy   2 E Iw  1
Let , Py  2
and P   2
 G K T  2
L  L  r0

  Py  P  C2  P y0 C3  0
 P  P  r02C3  P y0 C2  0

 Py  P  P y0  C2 
 2   0
  P y0 ( P  P ) r0  3
C
Py  P  P y0
 0
 P y0 ( P  P) r02
 Column Buckling – Singly Symmetric Columns

 ( Py  P)( P  P) r02  P 2 y02  0

  Py P  P ( Py  P )  P 2  r02  P 2 y02  0
2  y02 
 P 2 (1 
y0
)  P( Py  P )  Py P  0  4 Py P (1  2 ) 
2 ( Py  P )  r0 
r P  1  1 
y02  ( Py  P ) 2 
0

y02 2 (1  2 )  
( Py  P )  ( Py  P )  4 Py P (1  2 )
2
r0  
r0
P 
y02
2 (1  2 ) Thus, there are two roots for P
r0
Smaller value will govern
 y02 
 4 Py P (1  r 2 )   y 2 

( Py  P )  ( Py  P ) 2 1  0   4 Py P (1  2 ) 
0

 2 ( P  P )
( Py  P )   P  P  y  1  1  r0 
  y02  ( P  P ) 2 
  2 (1  2 )  y 

P 
y 2 r0  
2 (1  02 )
r0
 Column Buckling – Singly Symmetric Columns

 The critical buckling load will the lowest of Px and the two roots
shown on the previous slide.
 If the flexural torsional buckling load govern, then the buckling
mode will be C2 sin (z/L) x C3 sin (z/L)
 This buckling mode will include both flexural and torsional
deformations – hence flexural-torsional buckling mode.