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Chapter 12
Elastic Stability of Columns
Axial compressive loads can cause a
sudden lateral deflection (Buckling)
For columns made of elastic-perfectly
plastic materials, P
cr
Depends primarily on E and I
Independent of s
yield
and s
ult
For columns made of elastic strain-
hardening material, P
cr
Will also depend on the inelastic stress-strain
behavior
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Ideal column
Perfectly straight
Load lies exactly along central longitudinal
axis
Weightless
Free of residual stresses
Not subject to
a bending moment or
a lateral force
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1. Introduce some basic concepts of column
buckling
2. Physical description of the elastic buckling
of columns
a. For a range of lateral deflections
b. For both ideal and imperfect slender columns
3. Derive Euler formula for a pin-pin column
4. Examine the effect of constraints
5. Investigate Local Buckling of thin-wall
flanges of elastic columns with open cross
sections
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12.1 Introduction to the Concept of Column Buckling
When an initially straight, slender column with pinned
ends is subject to a compressive load P, failure occurs
by elastic buckling when P=P
cr
(12.1)
When an ideal column has P < P
cr
,
Column remains straight
A lateral force will cause the beam to move laterally, but
beam will return to straight upon removal of the force
Stable Equilibrium
When an ideal column has P = P
cr
,
Column can be freely moved laterally and remain
displaced after removal of the lateral load
Neutral Equilibrium
When an ideal column has P > P
cr
Unstable
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Magnitude of the buckling load is a function of the boundary conditions
Buckling is governed by the SMALLEST area moment of inertia
Real materials experience plastic collapse or fracture
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12.2 Deflection Response of Columns to Compressive
Loads
Consider a straight slender pinned-end column made of a
homogeneous material
Load the column to P
cr
Lateral deflection is represented by Curve 0AB in Fig. 12.3a
Elastic Buckling of an Ideal Slender Column
12.2 12.2
12.2.1
Fig. 12.3 Relation between load and lateral deflection for columns
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(12.2)
where
r is the radius of gyration (r
2
= I/A)
L/r is the slenderness ratio
For elastic behavior, s
cr
< s
yield
Fig. 12.3 Relation between load and lateral deflection for columns
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Large Deflections
Southwell (1941) showed that a very slender column can sustain a
load greater than P
cr
in a bent position
Provided the average s < s
yield
The load-deflection response is similar to curves BCD
For a real column, the s
yield
is exceeded at some value C due to axial
and bending stresses
Fig. 12.3 Relation between load and lateral deflection for columns
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12.3 The Euler Formula for Columns with Pinned Ends
Five methods
Equilibrium
Imperfection
Energy
Snap through (more significant in
buckling of shells than of beams)
Vibration (beyond scope of course)
12.3.1 The Equilibrium Method
By equilibrium of moments about Point A
(12.3)
Eq. 12.3 represents a state of neutral
equilibrium
Fig. 12.4 Column with pinned ends
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By elementary beam theory
(12.5)
From calculus
(12.4)
Eqs. 12.4 and 12.5 give
(12.6)
By Eqs. 12.3 and 12.6 after dividing by EI
(12.7)
Fig. 12.4 Column with pinned ends
where
(12.8)
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Fig. 12.6 Sign convention for internal moment.
(a) Positive moment taken CW.
(b) Positive moment taken CCW.
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Higher buckling loads than P
cr
are
possible if the lower modes are
constrained
By Eq. 12.14 for n=2
12.3.2 Higher Buckling Loads; n >1
Fig. 12.7 Buckling modes: n=1, 2, 3
By Eq. 12.14 for n=3
In general
In practice, n=1 is the most significant
(12.19)
(12.17)
(12.18)
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Real columns nearly always possess deviations from ideal conditions
Unless a column is extremely slender, it will fail by yielding or fracture
before failing by large lateral deflections
An imperfect column may be considered as a perfect column with an
eccentricity, e
For small e, 0BFG represents the Load-d curve (max load close to P
cr
)
For large e, 0BIJ represents the Load-d curve
(max load can be much lower than P
cr
)
12.2.2 Imperfect Slender Columns
Fig. 12.3 Relation between load and lateral deflection for columns
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The load-d relations for columns of intermediate slender ratios are
represented by the curves in Fig. 12.3c
For such columns, a condition of instability is associated with Points B,
F and I
At these points, inelastic strain occurs and is followed, after only a
small increase in load, by instability collapse at relatively small lateral
deflections
Failure of Columns of Intermediate Slenderness Ratio
Fig. 12.3 Relation between load and lateral deflection for columns
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Two potential types of failures
1. Failure by excessive deflection before plastic collapse or fracture
2. Failure by plastic collapse or fracture
Pure analytical approach is difficult
Empirical methods are usually used in conjunction with
analysis to develop workable design criteria
Which Type of Failure Occurs?
Fig. 12.3 Relation between load and lateral deflection for columns
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Acknowledge that a real column is usually loaded eccentrically, e
Hence, the Imperfection Method is a generalization of the Equilibrium
Method
By equilibrium of moments about Point A
SM
A
= M(x) +Pex/L+Py = 0
12.3.3 The Imperfection Method
Fig. 12.8 Eccentrically loaded pinned-end columns
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As the load P increases, the deflection of the column increases
When sin(kL)=0 for kL=np, n=1,2,3, , y
The Imperfection Method gives the same result as the Equilibrium
Method
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The Energy Method is based on the first law of thermodynamics
The work that external forces perform on a system plus the heat
energy that flows into the system equals the increase in internal
energy of the system plus the increase in the kinetic energy pf the
system
12.3.4 The Energy Method
(12.25)
For column buckling, assuming an adiabatic system dH=0
If beam is disturbed laterally, then it may vibrate, but dK << dW
Implies
(12.26)
Can solve the problem using the Rayleigh method by reducing the
problem to a single DOF, e.g. y(x) = A sin (p x / L)
A more general form is to use a Fourier series
Eq. 12.27 satisfies the BCs y=0 @ x=0 and x=L
(12.27)
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(12.33)
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12.4 Euler Buckling of Columns with Linear Elastic End
Constraints
Consider a straight elastic column with
linear elastic end constraints
Apply an axial force P
The potential energy of the column-spring
system is
Fig. 12.10
Elastic column with linear elastic
end constraints
(12.34)
The displaced equilibrium position of the
column is given by the principle of
stationary potential energy
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By Eq. 12.34, set dV=0
Eq. 12.37 is the Euler equation for the column
Eq. 12.38 are the BCs (Includes both the natural and forced BCs)
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(12.40)
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If any of the end displacements (y
1
,y
2
) and the end slopes (y
1
, y
2
)
of the column are forced (given),
then they are not arbitrary
and the associated variations must vanish
These specified conditions are called forced BCs
(also called geometric, kinematic, or essential BCs)
e.g., for pinned ends
y
1
=0 @ x=0 and y
2
=0 @ x=L
Therefore, dy
1
=dy
2
=0
Then the last two of Eqs. 12.38 are identically satisfied
The first two of Eqs. 12.38 yield the natural (unforced) BCs for the
pinned ends
Because y
1
and y
2
and hence dy
1
and dy
2
are arbitrary (i.e. nonzero)
Also for the pinned ends K
1
=K
2
=0
Therefore, Eqs. 12.38 give the natural BCs (because EI>0)
y
1
= y
2
= 0 (12.42)
Eqs. 12.39, 12.41 and 12.42 yield B = C = D = 0 and A sin KL = 0,
i.e. the result P
cr
=p
2
EI/L
2
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For specific values of K
1
, K
2
, k
1
and k
2
that are neither zero nor
infinity
The buckling load is obtained by setting the determinate D of the
coefficients A, B, C and D in Eq. 12.40
Usually must be solved numerically
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12.5 Local Buckling of Columns
Consider a column that is formed with several thin-wall parts
e.g., a channel, an angle or a wide-flange I-beam
Depending on the relative cross-sectional dimensions of a flange or
web
Such a column may fail by local buckling of the flange or web, before it
fails as an Euler column
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Consider the example
If the ratio t/b is relatively large, the column buckles as an Euler column
(global buckling)
If t/b is relatively small, the column fails by buckling or wrinkling, or more
generally, Local Buckling
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Local buckling of a compressed thin-wall column may not cause
immediate collapse of the column. However,
It alters the stress distribution in the system
Reduces the compressive stiffness of the column
Generally leads to collapse at loads lower than the Euler P
cr
In the design of columns in building structures using hot-rolled steel,
local buckling is controlled by selecting cross sections with t/b ratios s.t.
the critical stress for local buckling will exceed the s
yield
of the material
Therefore, local buckling will not occur before the material yields
Local buckling is controlled in cold-formed steel members by the use of
effective widths of the various compression elements
(i.e., leg of an angle or flange of a channel) which will account for the
relatively small t/b ratio.
These effective widths are then used to compute effective (reduced) cross-
section properties, A, I and so forth.
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Fig. 12.11
Buckling loads for local buckling and Euler buckling for columns made
of 245 TR aluminum (E=74.5 GPa)
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