Euler proposed a buckling length for bars under constant normal load, but, in the practice,

other load cases may appear. Here we give subsides to develop the buckling load or the
buckling length of the bar for any type of normal load. It is show the Euler equation to be
solved and proposed a simplified energetic method to find coefficients to reduce the buckling
load due to normal different from the uniform.

BUCKLING LENGTH REDUTION DUE TO VARIABLE NORMAL

Civil Eng. Mauriz Alexandre Júnior, Licstam

Rua Abílio Soares, 556, unidade 3, Paraíso, SP, capital, Brasil, CEP 04005-002

mauriz@alumni.usp.br
 1. Introduction

Analyzing the buckling of a bar, if we have the whole normal acting uniformly on a bar,
we consider the buckling length as given by Euler:

Nb = EI/L²

Figure 1 - Buckling length for constant normal.

But, if we have a normal different from the constant one:

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 Figure 2 - Possible normal fields on bars.

These are normal diagrams that may appear on chords of trusses. Considering the
normal on the chord of a truss, the moment acting on the truss divided by the high of the
truss. For these cases, the total amount of normal acting on the bar is smaller than if we had
the maximum normal acting uniformly on the bar. The buckling length for a smaller amount of
normal is bigger.

In this work we show three cases of variable normal acting on the bar and what to
consider to reduce the buckling length to be considered. We see a truss under different loads
and configurations where this variable normal appears on the chords. We use a method that
involves the deformation energy of the bar.

We show a numerical example of a truss to show how to consider the reduced

buckling length. We also show the equation of Euler for a variable normal on a bar to be solved
to find the exact buckling normal, including the second order consideration.

2. Truss under punctual load

Consider a bi-supported truss submitted to a punctual load. The moment diagram will
be the following:

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 Figure 3 - Truss under punctual load, moment diagram

The chords normal will be the moment divided by the truss high. So the maximum normal will
be:

Nmax = Mmax /H

of compression on the superior chord and tension on the inferior chord. So one may imagine
that if the superior chord is not horizontally pinned at any intermediate point, the buckling
length will be the truss length, L, and the load applied will be this maximum normal calculated,
N = Mmax /H.

In fact, the maximum normal must be considered in the dimensioning of the truss
chord profile, because de yielding section depends on it, but the buckling length may be
reduced. The buckling length would be the total length of the truss, in the maximum inertia
axis, if the normal were the maximum at the whole length of the chord, but it is not what
happens. The superior chord normal has the same diagram of the moment:

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 Figure 4 - Truss superior chord normal, subbmited to punctual load.

As we may see in Beer & Johnston, Mechanics of Materials, the bucking load of a beam
submitted to an uniform axial load of compression is:

Nb = EI/L².

We may apply an energy method. We may consider the uniform normal applied on the
superior chord, that has the same deformation energy of the normal in fact applied with the
triangular diagram.

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 Figure 5 - Actual and hypothetic normal acting on a bar.

The deformation energy for a beam under axial load is:

According to Beer & Johnston, Mechanics of Materials.

So, the total deformation energy for the real triangular diagram of normal is:

The deformation energy for the equivalent constant normal is:

Matching the both energies, we find that:

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 The buckling length for the maximum normal, supposing this maximum valor acting on
the whole bar is:

The buckling length for the equivalent normal will be bigger, because this normal is smaller
than the maximum real valor:

This way, if we imagine the reduced normal buckling this bigger length, the maximum normal
that we apply will be acting in a length proportionally smaller:

So, in the practice, instead of considering the buckling length, L, for the maximum inertia axis,
we may consider it 0.76 L.

3. Truss under distributed uniform load

Let’s now consider a truss under distributed uniform load and see what will be the
coefficient to be applied, reducing the buckling length to be considered:

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 Figure 6- Moment diagram for truss under uniform distributed load.

The equation for the moment is:

Expressed in function of the maximum moment it results:

And the compression normal on the superior chord will be the moment divided by the high of
the truss. So the equation of the normal is:

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Now, we may calculate the strain energy of this normal, and match with the strain energy of
an equivalent normal constant in the hole length of the chord.

The deformation energy for the equivalent constant normal is:

Matching the both energies, we find that:

The buckling length for the maximum normal, supposing this maximum valor acting on
the hole bar is:

The buckling length for the equivalent normal will be bigger, because this normal is smaller
than the maximum real valor:

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This way, if we imagine the reduced normal buckling this bigger length, the maximum normal
that we apply will be acting in a length proportionally smaller:

So, in the practice, instead of considering the buckling length, L, for the maximum inertia axis,
we may consider it 0.85 L.

4. Two span truss under distributed uniform load

Now, let us consider a two span continuous truss under uniform load. The moment
diagram will be the following:

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 Figura 7 - Two span truss under uniform load.

From where we can see that at the point x = ¾ L, the moment changes of signal, it is not any
more stressing the superior chord and start stressing the inferior chord. So analyzing the
inferior chord, we may consider the buckling length, only ¼ L, that is the region being
compressed, and apply on it a coefficient of reduction, because the maximum normal is not
acting on the hole length. For the superior chord the same reasoning, only ¾ of its length is
being compressed, and apply on it a coefficient of reduction for the maximum normal is not
acting in this hole length.

The equation of the moment is the following:

and the maximum positive moment happens at x = 3/8 L. So for the region of positive
moment, we may write:

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And the normal on the chord is the moment divided by the high of the truss:

The deformation energy is then:

The deformation energy for the equivalent constant normal, in the region of compression of
the superior chord, is:

Equating both energies, we have:

That is the same for the bi-supported truss under uniform load.

The buckling length for the maximum normal, supposing this maximum valor acting on
the hole bar is:

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The buckling length for the equivalent normal will be bigger, because this normal is smaller
than the maximum real valor:

This way, if we imagine the reduced normal buckling this bigger length, the maximum normal
that we apply will be acting in a length proportionally smaller:

So, the buckling length for the positive moment is:

For the negative moment we have that:

In absolute values, for x > 3/4 L.

And the maximum moment is:

for x = L.

So, the moment may be written as:

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And as the normal is the moment divided by the high H, we have that

The deformation energy generated by this normal is:

The deformation energy developed by the equivalent load is:

Equating both energies, we have that:

This way, if we imagine the reduced normal buckling this bigger length, the maximum normal
that we apply will be acting in a length proportionally smaller:

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So, the buckling length for the superior moment is:

5. Euler formula due to variable normal

Let us see, for example, the normal due to a uniform load on a bi-supported truss,
generating moments in the truss that will be transformed in normal in the chords.

Figure 8 - Bi-supported chord under variable normal.

The normal on the chord is:

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 The displacement of the bar is y. So, the moment along the bar is:

M = - N y.

And according to Beer & Johnston, Mechanics of Materials:

This way, the equation is:

So, the solution of the problem consists on solve this equation and apply the contour
conditions, that are y(x=0)=0 and y(x=L)=0. The same procedure made to find the buckling
normal of Euler seen in Beer & Johnston, Mechanics of Material.

6. Second order Euler formula due to variable normal

To calculate the moment on the bar due to the normal applied on the deflection one
may consider the deflection of the position this normal is applied. Let us see, for example, the
case of the chord of the truss under uniform load:

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 Figure 9 - Truss under uniform load.

And the normal on the chord will be:

Figure 10 - Bi-supported chord under variable normal.

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 These are the element force of normal on the bar due to the integral of the distributed
normal forces acting on the bar. To calculate the second order effect in order to increase the
buckling normal we may find the distributed normal forces that generate this normal element
force.

Figure 11 – Forces and displacements on the bar, variable normal.

This way, the normal on the bar may be written:

And the moment due to the equilibrium configuration is:

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 So, we have:

And the solution of the problem of finding the buckling normal consists on solving this
equation:

and apply the contour conditions, that are y(x=0)=0 and y(x=L)=0. The same procedure made
to find the buckling normal of Euler seen in Beer & Johnston, Mechanics of Material.

7. Numerical Example

Let’s analyze a truss of a real state selling stand. The weight due to roof is 50 kgf/m²
and the forces on the truss are:

Figure 12 - Forces on a truss.

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Measures in cm.

Which has the following moments diagram:

Figure 13 - Moments diagram.

Distances in cm.

Moments in tf.m.

Dividing the moment by the high of the truss, we find the normal on the chords:

Figure 147 - Normal on the inferior chord.

Measures in cm.

Normal in tf.

On the inferior chord the compression appear in the region of negative moments and on the
superior chord the compression is in the region of positive moments.

The inferior chord, the normal is 4.3 tf. The worst side is the first span, that is bigger.
So one may deliberate, the dimensioning normal is 4.3 tf and the buckling length is 8.4 m, the
distance between the pinned supports. But as we seen, we may consider only the region under
compression, so the buckling length is 1.85 m, and we may apply yet the coefficient 0.75 as

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seen in the previous chapter of two span truss under uniform load. So the buckling length for
the inferior chord will be:

Lb = 0.75 x 1.85 = 1.40 m

So, instead of considering 8.40 m, the buckling length, we may consider 1.40 m. This
will increase very much the supporting tension of the profile, because the resisting tension is a
function of the buckling length, the bigger is the buckling length, the smaller is the resisting
tension, and, using this reduced buckling length, we may use a more economic profile.

For the superior chord, the same procedure. We may consider the reduced buckling
length that is, the length of the compressed region, multiplied by a reducing coefficient
previously obtained in the chapter of two span truss. So, the buckling length for the superior
chord will be:

Lb = 0.85 x 6.55 = 5.60 m

That is much smaller than the 8.40 m of length of the span.

8. Conclusion

As we have seen, we may consider a smaller buckling length for normal different from
the constant one. The buckling length of a bar gets in the calculus making the necessary
section smaller or bigger. As a generalization we may consider the coefficient of 0,85 to the
length of normal due to positive moments or convex diagram of normal and 0,75 to the region
of normal due to negative moments or concave or straight moments, applied on the region
this moments are acting.

Figure 15 - Generalization.

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 9. Bibliography

BEER, Ferdinand Pierre; JOHNSTON, Elwood Russell Jr.

Mechanics of Materials.

6th edition. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2012.

TIMOSHENKO, Stephen P.; GERE, James M.

Theory of elastic stability.

2rd ed. New York: Dover, 1989.

BUCALEM, Miguel Luiz; BATHE, Klaus-Jürguen.

The mechanics of solids and structures – hierarchical modeling and the finite element
solution.

Berlin: Springer, 2011.

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