College of Engineering

Mech. Eng. Dept.

Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Columns

Columns are long slender members subjected to an axial compressive force. The
force may be large enough to cause the member to deflect laterally or sides way,
this deflection is called buckling.

Critical Load

The maximum axial load that a column support when it is on the verge of
buckling is called the critical load (P cr).

Any additional loading will cause the column to buckle and therefore deflect
laterally.

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Ideal Column with Pin Supports

The column to be consideredis an ideal column, meaning one that is perfectly

straight before loading, is made of homogeneous material, and upon which the
load is appliedthrough the centroid of the cross section. It is further assumed
that the material behaves in a linear-elastic manner and that the column
buckles or bends in a single plane.

In order to determine the critical load and the buckled shape of the column we will
apply the following equation:

d 2v
EI 2  M
dx

M section 0

M+Pv=0

M=-Pv

d 2v
EI   Pv
dx 2

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

d 2v P
2
 ( )v  0 .......................(1)
dx EI

The general solution of equation (1) is:

P P
v  C1 sin( x)  C2 cos( x) ......................(2)
EI EI

C1 and C2 are determined from the boundary conditions :

v=0 at x=0 C2=0

P
v=0 at x=L C1 sin( L)  0
EI

C1≠0 therefore

P
sin( L)  0
EI

P
L  n
EI

n 2 2 EI
P n  1,2,3,.............
L2

The smallest value of P is obtained when n=1, so the critical load for the column
is:

 2 EI
Pcr 
L2

This load is sometimes referred to as the Euler load, n represents the number of
waves in the deflected shape of the column; if n=2 two waves will appear in the
buckled shape and the column will support a critical load that is 4P cr.

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

The corresponding buckled shape is:

x
v  C1 sin( )
L

The constant C1 represent the maximum deflection vmax which occurs at the
midpoint of the column.

It is important to realize that the column will buckle about the principal axis of
cross section having the least moment of inertia (the weakest axis). For example a
column having a rectangular cross section as shown below will buckle about the a-
a axis not the b-b axis.

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

As a result engineers usually try to achieve a balance keeping the moments of

inertia the same in all directions
Ix  Iy

 2 EI
Pcr 
L2

Pcr: critical or maximum axial load on the column just before it begins to buckle.
This load must not cause the stress in the column to exceed the proportional limit.

E: modulus of elasticity for the material.

I: least moment of inertia for the column's cross sectional area.

L: unsupported length of the column, whose ends are pinned.

I=Ar2

 2E
 cr 
L
( )2
r

 cr :critical stress which is an average stress in the column just before the column
buckles. This stress is an elastic stress and therefore:
 cr   Y

I
r: smallest radius of gyration of the column r  .
A

L/r: slenderness ratio, it’s a measure of the column flexibility.

Example: A 24 ft long A-36 steel tube having the cross section shown below is to
be used as a pin ended column. Determine the maximum allowable axial load the
column can support so that it does not buckle. Est=29×103 ksi,  Y =36 ksi.

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy


 2  29 103  (34  2.754 )
 2 EI 4
Pcr  
L2 (24 12) 2

=64.52 kip.
Pcr 64.52
 cr  
A  (3  2.752 )
2

=14.28 ksi

Since  cr   Y

Pallow=64.52 kip.

Example: The A-36 steel W8×31 member shown below 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. Est=29×103 ksi,  Y =36 ksi. A=9.13 in2, Ix=110
in4, Iy=37.1 in4.

Buckling occurs about y-axis.

 2 EI  2  29 103  37.1
Pcr  
L2 (12 12) 2

=512 in4
Pcr 512
 cr    56 ksi
A 9.13

 cr   Y

P P
 y  36  
A 9.13

P=328.68 kip.

158
College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Columns Having Various Types of Supports

 Fixed-Free column

M section 0

M-P(  -v)=0

M= P(  -v)

d 2v
EI  P( - v)
dx 2

d 2v P P
2
 v   .......................(1)
dx EI EI

The solution of equation (1) consists of both a complementary and particular

solution.

P P
v  C1 sin( x)  C2 cos( x)   ......................(2)
EI EI

C1 and C2 are determined from the boundary conditions :

v=0 at x=0 C2=- 

dv
=0 at x=0
dx

dv P P P P
 C1 cos( x)  C 2 sin( x)
dx EI EI EI EI

C1=0

P
v   [1  cos( x)] .................(3)
EI

Since the deflection at the top of the column is  , that is at x=L v= 

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

P
 cos( L)  0
EI

 ≠0

P P n
cos( L)  0 or L
EI EI 2

n 2 2 EI
P
4L2

The smallest value of P is obtained when n=1, so the critical load for the column
is:

 2 EI
Pcr 
4L2

Effective Length

The effective length (Le) is the distance between points of inflection (that is , points
of zero moment ) in its deflection curve, assuming that the curve is extended (if
necessary) until points of inflection are reached.

Le=KL

Pinned –Ends K=1

Fixed-Free Ends K=2

Fixed-Ends K=0.5

Pinned-Fixed Ends K=0.7

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Euler's formula becomes:

 2 EI  2E
Pcr  ;  cr 
(KL) 2 KL 2
( )
r

KL/r: columns effective slenderness ratio.

For fixed-Free ends K=2

 2 EI
Pcr 
4L2

Example: A W6×15 steel column is 24 ft long and is fixed at is ends as shown

below. Its load carrying capacity is increased by bracing it about the y-y (weak)
axis using strut that are assumed to be pin connected to its midheight. Determine
the load it can support so that the column does not buckle nor the material exceed
the yield stress. Take Est=29×103 ksi and  Y =60 ksi. A=4.43 in2, Ix=29.1 in4,
Iy=9.32 in4.

 2 EI x  2  29 103  29.1
( Pcr ) x    401.7 kip
( KL) 2x (12 12) 2

 2 EI y  2  29 10 3  9.32
( Pcr ) y    262.5 kip
( KL) 2y (0.7 12 12) 2

( Pcr ) y 262.5
 cr    59.3 ksi
A 4.43

 cr   Y

Pcr=262.5 kip.

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College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Example: A viewing platform in a wild animal park is supported by a raw of

aluminum pipe columns having length 3.25 m and outer diameter 100 mm. The
bases of the columns are set in concrete footings and the tops of the columns are
supported laterally by the platform (pinned). The columns are being designed to
support compressive loads 100 kN. Determine the minimum required thickness t of
the columns if a factor of safety n=3 is required with respect to Euler buckling for
aluminum use 72 GPa for the modulus of elasticity and use 480 MPa for the
proportional limit.

For fixed –pinned ends column

 2 EI
Pcr 
(0.7 L) 2

Pcr=nP=3×100=300 kN

 2  72 10 6  I
300=
(0.7  3.25) 2

162
College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

I=2.185×10-6 m4

I= (d o4  d i4 )
64


2.185 10 6  [(100 10 3 ) 4  (100 10 3  2t ) 4 ]
64

t=6.846×10-3 m

t=6.846 mm

di=86.308 mm
 
A= (d o2  d i2 ) = [(100 10 3 ) 2  (86.308 10 3 ) 2 ]
4 4

A=2.0034×10-3 m2
Pcr 300
 cr    149.738 MPa
A 2.0034 10 3

 cr   Y

t=6.846 mm

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