Columns/ struts

1. What is a column/ strut?

A. An axially loaded slender compressive member in vertical position is called a column; in
general for any orientation it is called strut.
2. What is buckling?
A. It is the elastic instability (bending) of a compressive member, happens for long columns.
3. Mention Eluler’s equation for critical load.
2
Pcr = π EI2
A.
Le ; Where, I: moment of inertia of area, E: elastic modulus & Le: effective
length.
4. Mention assumptions used for the derivation of Euler’s buckling load.
A. Column initially perfectly straight, load truly axial, cross-section uniform throughout the
length, material perfectly elastic, homogeneous and isotropic, length very large compared to
sectional dimensions, shortening due to direct compression ignored, failure due to buckling only.
5. Mention effective length for four different end conditions of a column.
A. Both ends hinged (pinned): Le = L. Both ends fixed: Le = L/2. Fixed – free: Le = 2L. Fixed –
hinged: Le = L / √ 2 .
6. Find moment of inertia of area (I) for hollow rectangular and circular sections.
b0 h3o −bi h3i
A. Irectangle = 12 b b h
; where 0 and i are outer and inner widths, o and
hi
outer and inner heights respectively.
π 4
(d −d i 4 ) d d
Icircle = 64 o ; where o and i are outer and inner diameters respectively.
7. Define radius of gyration (k) and slenderness ratio.
I
A. k = √ A ; where I is the moment of inertia of area and A is the cross sectional area.
Le
Slenderness ratio = k ; where Le is the effective length of column and k is the radius of
gyration.
8. Find radius of gyration for circular and rectangular sections.
πd 4 /64 d bh 3 /12 h
A. kcircle = √ =
πd 2 / 4 4 ; krectangle = √ bh
9. How can you find critical load (P) for a short strut?
=
√ 12

A. It can be found using Rankine’s formula: 1/P=1/PC +1/PE; where

PC = σ c A = strut
2 2
crushing load and PE = π EI / Le = Euler’s buckling (critical) load.
10. What is the major limitation of Euler’s buckling load equation?
A. Pcr= π2E I/L2e = π2EAk2/ L2e; σcr= Pcr/A=π2E/( Le/k)2; σcr< σcrush, but this is violated when Le/k is
small; i.e., short struts. So the equation is valid for long column/ struts only.
Problems: SM book of Khurmi (34.1, 34.2) and Beer &Johnston (10.1).