Problem sheet:

Buckling of beams (struts)

1. A frame consists of two steel bars with pin-jointed ends, as shown in the figure. The cross-
section of the bar AC is also shown in the figure. The Young’s modulus of the strut material
is E=210 GN/m2. Determine if the frame can safely support the load of 50kN at joint A
without bar AC buckling about either the x- or z-axis.
(PC x-axis 21.5kN Buckles. PC z-axis 86.4kN Does not buckle.)
B z

5m 50mm x
40° C
A

Pinned 100mm
joint 50 kN
10m
2. A structure supports a load W by means of a built-in strut that is perpendicular to the
support, and a support strut with pin-joined ends, as shown in the figure. Both struts have a
cross-sectional area of 50mm × 50mm and Young’s modulus of the strut material is E=210
GN/m2. Determine the maximum value of the W so that the strut does not fail due to
buckling.(203.2kN)
Pinned
joint
30°

2.5m W

3. An axial load is applied to a steel strut of length 6 m, where both ends of the strut are fixed
rigidly, as shown in the figure. The cross-section of the strut is also shown in the figure, and
has an outer diameter of 100 mm. Assume that E = 200 GN/m2 and yield stress ys = 350
MN/m2 for the steel.

What is the minimum inner diameter, d, of the strut required to ensure that it does not
collapse due to buckling if the applied axial load is 1 MN? Why would a strut with this
minimum inner diameter most probably buckle in a real application?

It is proposed to make the strut shorter. What is the shortest length for which buckling, rather
than yielding, is the limiting failure mode?

What is the maximum load that could be applied to the strut if the fixture at one end were to
give way so the strut behaved as if it were pinned at that end? What would happen if the
original load of 1 MN were still applied in this case? z
(51.6mm; 4.22m)
Strut: Cross-section: d
6m

1 MN
x

100 mm
4. Part of the mechanism of a child's toy uses a rectangular-section spring steel blade of
length 50 mm and width 5 mm, which is fixed at one end and moves horizontally at the other
under the application of an alternating load. Both ends of the blade are fixed rigidly into the
supports, and correct operation requires that the moving end does not hit the end stop.
Assume that E = 200 GN/m2, and yield stress, ys, = 350 MN/m2 for the spring steel.

What is the minimum thickness of the blade required to ensure that it does not collapse due to
buckling if the alternating horizontal load is 10 N?

For this minimum thickness, it is proposed to make the blade shorter. What is the shortest
length of blade for which buckling, rather than yielding, is the limiting failure mode?
(0.2mm, 8.5mm)
50 mm

10 N

End stop
Blade (or strut)

5. The section of an I-section vertical steel strut (E=200 GN/m2, Y=300 MN/m2) of web and
flange thickness 10 mm is twice as deep (=2B) as it is wide (B). The strut is of length 6 m and
is subject to a compressive load of 90 kN applied through the centroid of the section. If the
beam is built in at the bottom and free at the top, determine the required width (B) and depth
(2B) of the strut to avoid failure by buckling. Determine the compressive stress in the beam at
the Euler load, expressed as a percentage of the yield stress.
(157.8mm and 315.5mm, 4.9%)
90 kN z
Strut: Cross-section:
2B

B
Repeat the calculation for the case where the beam is pinned at the top and still built-in at the
bottom. Calculate the slenderness ratio of the beam. Determine down to what slenderness
ratio buckling remains the limiting failure mode for this steel. Hence what is the shortest
length of strut (of this particular section) to which Euler theory applies?
(78.1mm and 156.1mm, 253, 1.92m)
1.

Free body diagram for pinned joint:

FT

40°
FC

50 kN
Resolving forces vertically:
FT sin 40 = 50 i.e. FT = 77.8 kN
Resolving forces horizontally:
FC = FT cos 40 = 59.6 kN

 2 EI
Critical load for the onset of buckling instability given by PC = where Lequ=L for a
L2equ
pinned-pinned strut.

For a rectangular cross-section

BD 3 100  503
Ix = = = 1.04  106 mm4
12 12
BD 3 50  1003
Iz = = = 4.17  106 mm4
12 12

Therefore about the x-axis:

 2 EI x  2  210 109 1.04 10−6
PC = = = 21.5 kN i.e. < FC so buckles
L2 102

and about the z-axis:

 2 EI z  2  210 109  4.17 10 −6
PC = 2
= = 86.4 kN i.e. > FC so does not buckle
L 10 2
2.
Free body diagram for pinned joint:

FT
30°
FC

W
Resolving forces vertically:
FT sin 30 = W i.e. FT = 2W
Resolving forces horizontally:
FC = FT cos 30 = 3 W

 2 EI
Critical load for the onset of buckling instability given by PC = where Lequ=0.7L for a
L2equ
free-fixed strut.

For a rectangular cross-section

BD 3 50  503
I= = = 0.52 106 mm4
12 12

Therefore
 2 EI  2  210  109  0.52  10−6
PC = or 3W 
(0.7 L) 2 (0.7  2.5) 2
i.e. W  203.2 kN
3.
 2 EI
Critical load for the onset of buckling instability given by PC = where Lequ=L/2 for a
L2equ
fixed-fixed strut.

Hence:
L2equ
I  PC
EI

= 1 106 
(6 2)2
 2  200  109
= 4.56  10 −6 m 4

For a circular cross-section


I = (D 4 − d 4 ) i.e. d 4  − (4.56  10−6 ) + (0.1)
64 4

64 
d  51.6 mm

In practice, the critical buckling load is an over-estimate because initial strut curvature and
off-axis loading will lower the critical load.

 2E
The critical stress for the onset of buckling instability is given by  C = where r is
(Lequ /r )
2

the radius of gyration (i.e. I=Ar2) and A is the section area. To avoid yielding:

 2E Lequ E
  ys or 
(L equ /r )
2
r  ys
E
L  2r
 ys
200  109
 2  28.13  10 −3  
350  106
 4.22 m

I 4.56  10−6
since r = = = 28.13  10−3 m

A
4
(0.1
2
− 0.0516 2 )
For a fixed-pinned strut Lequ ~ 0.7L hence PC is reduced (approximately halved from 1 MN to
0.51 MN). Hence applying the 1 MN original load would cause buckling instability of the
strut and it would collapse.
4.
 2 EI
Critical load for the onset of buckling instability given by PC = where Lequ=L/2 for a
L2equ
fixed-fixed strut.

Hence:
L2equ
I  PC
EI

= 10 
(50 10 2 −3
)2

  200  109
2

= 3.166  10 −15 m 4

For a rectangular cross-section:

BD 3 12  3.166  10−15
I= i.e. D 3 
12 5  10−3
D  0.2 mm

 2E
The critical stress for the onset of buckling instability is given by  C = where r is
(Lequ / r )
2

the radius of gyration (i.e. I=Ar2) and A is the section area. To avoid yielding:

 2E Lequ E
  ys or 
(L equ /r )
2
r  ys
E
L  2r
 ys
200  109
 2  56.27  10 −6  
350  106
 8.5 mm

I 3.166  10−15
since r = = = 56.27  10−6 m
A 5  10−3  0.2  10−3
5.
 2 EI
Critical load for the onset of buckling instability given by PC = where Lequ=2L for a
L2equ
fixed-free strut. Hence:
L2
I  PC equ
EI
4  62
= 90  103  2
  200  109
= 6.57  10 −6 m 4

For an I cross-section, bending about the x-axis

B(2 B ) (B − t )(2 B − 2t ) B(2 B ) (B − 10)(2 B − 20)
3 3 3 3
Ix = − i.e. 0 = −6.57  106 + − or B = 67.56mm
12 12 12 12
( I in mm4 )
and for bending about the z-axis
t (B ) (2 B − 2t ) t 3 10(B ) (2 B − 20) 103
3 3
Iz = 2 + i.e. 0 = −6.57  10 + 26
+ or B = 157.77mm
12 12 12 12
( I in mm4 )

The roots of these cubic equations can be found with a graphics package such as Excel or
Matlab:
7
x 10
5
67.56 157.77
Equation

-5
-100 -50 0 50 100 150 200
B (mm)

A larger value of B is required to prevent buckling about the z-axis, so this is the critical
dimension and axis (i.e. for a given B, Iz < Iy). Therefore we must use B=157.8mm and
2B=315.5mm.

At the critical load

P 90  103 90  103 90  103
C = C = = = = 14.7 N / mm2 = 14.7MN / m 2
A 2tB + (2 B − 2t )t 4tB − 2t 2 4  10  157.77 − 2  10 2
and
C 14.7  106
= = 4.9%
y 300  106
Repeat the calculation for the fixed-pinned case, where Lequ=0.7L. Hence:
 L2equ
I  PC
EI

= 90  103 
(0.7  6)2
 2  200  109
= 0.804  10 −6 m 4

For an I cross-section, bending about the z-axis

t (B ) (2 B − 2t ) t 3 10(B ) (2 B − 20) 103
3 3
Iz = 2 + i.e. 0 = −0.804  106 + 2 + or B = 78.06mm
12 12 12 12
4
( I in mm )

A larger value of B is required to prevent buckling about the z-axis, so this is the critical
dimension and axis (i.e. for a given B, Iz < Iy). Therefore we must use B=78.1mm and
2B=156.1mm.

Slenderness ratio for this case is:

Lequ 0.7  6
= = 253
r 16.6  10−3
I 0.804  106
since r = = = 16.6mm
A 4  10  78.06 − 2  102

 2E
The critical stress for the onset of buckling instability is given by  C = where r is
(L
equ /r )
2

the radius of gyration (i.e. I=Ar2) and A is the section area. To avoid yielding:

 2E Lequ E
  ys or 
(Lequ /r )
2
r  ys
r E
L
0.7  ys

16.6  10 −3   200  109


0.7 300  106
 1.92 m