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DESIGN FOR MINIMUM WEIGHT. STRUTS OF UNIFORM SECTION.

THIN-WALLED SQUARE TUBES

1. NOTATION

d mean width of side of strut m in

d0 mean width of side of elastic strut of least weight m in

E Young’s modulus of strut material N/m2 lbf/in2

Et tangent modulus at stress f N/m2 lbf/in2

f average stress in strut at failure N/m2 lbf/in2

fn stress at which E t = ½E N/m2 lbf/in2

f0 average stress at failure in elastic strut of least weight N/m2 lbf/in2

l actual length of strut m in

l′ equivalent length of strut (see Data Sheet Struct. 01.01.01) m in

m material characteristic (see Item No. 76016)

P end load in strut at failure N lbf

t thickness of wall of strut m in

t0 thickness of wall of elastic strut of least weight m in

W weight of strut N lbf

W min minimum weight of strut N lbf

Both British and SI units are quoted but any coherent system of units may be used.

Issued April 1966

With Amendment A
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2. INTRODUCTION

This Data Sheet gives the cross-sectional dimensions for minimum weight of thin-walled struts of uniform
square section and given length. Information is also presented on the weight penalty incurred by restricting
either of the cross-sectional dimensions.
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Figure 1 gives values of d0/ l′ and t0/ l′ against P/ El′ . Figures 2 and 3 give values of d/d0 and t/t0 against
f0/fn for various values of m. Figures 4 and 5 give values of W/Wmin and the unspecified dimensional ratio
against d/d0 or t/t0 respectively for elastic struts with a restriction on the choice of dimensions.

In deriving Figure 1, no allowance has been made for eccentricity or overall curvature of the strut. The
effect of a practical degree of local irregularity of the walls is negligible. In deriving Figures 2 and 3, the
appropriate modulus effective in each mode of plastic buckling has been used (Derivation 1).

Item No. 66008 gives information on the minimum weights of struts of uniform section in various materials.

3. DIMENSIONS OF STRUT OF LEAST WEIGHT

To determine the dimensions of a strut of least weight, the material is first assumed to be perfectly elastic.
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The cross-sectional dimensions d0 and t0 are obtained from Figure 1 for the appropriate value of P/ El′ .
The stress f0 is then obtained from the relation

P
f 0 = -------------- .
4d 0 t 0

If f0 is above the elastic limit, the values of fn and m appropriate to the strut material are used to obtain d/d0
and t/t0 from Figures 2 and 3. The actual dimensions d and t may then be evaluated.

4. WEIGHT PENALTY FOR ELASTIC STRUTS WITH DIMENSIONAL RESTRICTION

In particular cases, one of the cross-sectional dimensions may be dictated by considerations other than
design for minimum weight. Figures 4 and 5 show the least value of W/Wmin that can be achieved when
one dimension is initially specified. Each figure also gives the value of the remaining section dimension
that must be used and indicates the initial buckling mode.

If d is specified, d/d0 is evaluated. Then W/Wmin and t/t0 are obtained from Figure 4, noting the change of
scale of t/t0 as the value of d/d0 passes through unity. Initial instability occurs in the overall mode if d/d0 < 1
and in the local mode if d/d0 > 1 .
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For the given value of P/ El′ , t0 is the absolute minimum thickness of a square tubular strut. Thus for any
admissible design, t can only be specified so that t/t0 ≥ 1 . In this case W/Wmin and d/d0 are obtained from
Figure 5. Initial instability occurs in the overall mode.

Figures 4 and 5 apply only to elastic struts. In particular, the value of Wmin is that appropriate to an elastic
strut of least weight. If the dimensionally restricted strut is indeed elastic but the strut of least weight
inelastic, the quoted value of W/Wmin is misleading. In this case the unspecified cross-sectional dimension
is obtained from either Figure 4 or Figure 5. The average stress in the dimensionally restricted strut can
then be calculated and so can the stress in the strut of least weight. The realistic weight penalty for the

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dimensionally restricted strut is then given by

W stress in strut of least weight

------------ = ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- .
W min stress in dimensionally restricted strut

5. DERIVATION

1. BECKER, H. Handbook of structural stability. Part II: Buckling of composite

elements. NACA TN 3782, 1955.
2. COX, H.L. The design of structures of least weight. Pergamon, Oxford, 1965.

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6. EXAMPLES

6.1 Example 1

It is required to determine the cross-sectional dimensions of a thin-walled square section strut to carry an
end load of 9000 lbf over a distance of 50 in. The ends of the strut are fixed with respect to one principal
axis and pinned with respect to the other.

The material properties are

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E = 6.5 × 10 lbf/in 2 ; m = 7; f n = 19 000 lbf/in 2 .

The strut will clearly buckle as a pin-ended strut. Hence, from Data Sheet 01.01.01,
l′ = l .

Hence,
l′ = 50 in

and
P 9000 –7
---------- = ---------------------------------------- = 5.54 × 10 .
2 6 2
El′ 6.5 × 10 × 50

From Figure 1,
d0 3  t 0
----- = 0.042, 10  ---- = 1.16 .
l′  l′ 

Hence,
d 0 = 0.042 × 50 = 2.1 in ,
–3
t 0 = 1.16 × 10 × 50 = 0.058 in ,
9000 2
f 0 = --------------------------------------- = 18 500 lbf/in
4 × 2.1 × 0.058
and
f0 18 500
---- = ----------------- = 0.974 .
fn 19 000

From Figures 2 and 3, interpolating for m = 7,

d t
----- = 1.088, ---- = 1.058 .
d0 t0

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Hence,
d = 1.088 × 2.1 = 2.29 in ,

t = 1.058 × 0.058 = 0.061 in ,

9000 2
f = ------------------------------------------ = 16 100 lbf/in ,
4 × 2.29 × 0.061

6.2 Example 2

It is required to determine the dimensions of the strut and the associated weight penalty if the condition
that d should be at least 3.0 in is added to the specification of the preceding problem.

Since d is specified, Figure 4 is used.

d 3.0
----- = ------- = 1.43 .
d0 2.1

Hence, from Figure 4,

t W
---- = 1.126 , ------------ = 1.61 ,
t0 W min

and failure occurs by local buckling.

The dimensions of the strut are therefore

d = 3.0 in ,
t = 1.126 × 0.058 = 0.0653 in .

The average stress at failure is

9000
f = ------------------------------------------ = 11 500 lbf/in 2
4 × 3.0 × 0.0653

which is found by inspection to be below the elastic limit for the given material.

Referred to an elastic strut of least weight, the weight penalty due to the restriction on d is 61 per cent.
Referred to the strut in Example 1,

W 16 100
------------ = ----------------- = 1.40 .
W min 11 500

The weight penalty is therefore only 40 per cent of the least weight that could be achieved with the given
material.

5
 
5

t
100
9
103 t0 8
t
( )
l′
7 10
3
( l′0)
6
d
5

2
6

10−1
9
8
7
6
5 d0 / l′
d0 / l′ 4

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10−2
10−9 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910−8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910−7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910−6 10−5

P / EI′2
FIGURE 1
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1.6
m ∞ 40 2015 10 5

1.5

1.4

1.3
d / d0

1.2

1.1

1.0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

f0 / fn

FIGURE 2

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1.6
5

1.5 m

1.4 10
15 _ ∞

1.3
t / t0

1.2

1.1

1.0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

f0 / fn

FIGURE 3

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3.5 2.0

W / Wmin
W / Wmin

3.0 1.8

BUCKLING MODE
overall local
2.5 1.6

t / t0 W / Wmin

t / t0
2.0 ( l.h. scale ) 1.4 1.2

t / t0

t / t0
1.5 1.2 1.1
( r.h. scale )

1.0
1.0
0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
d / d0

FIGURE 4

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2.0

BUCKLING MODE W / Wmin

1.8 overall 1.0

1.6 0.9

d / d0
W / Wmin

1.4 0.8

d / d0

1.2 0.7

1.0
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

t / t0

FIGURE 5

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