Buckling of Columns

So far, we had two primary

concerns in the analysis
The strength of the structure, its ability
to support a specified load without
experiencing excessive stresses,
{Strength}
The ability of the structure to support a
specified load without undergoing
unacceptable deformations,
{Serviceability}
Stability – An important aspect
in the design process
Stability of a structure
Its stability to support a given load without
experiencing a sudden change in its
configuration
With the advances in material strength,
smaller sections are being adequate to
sustain the applied loads.
Smaller sections may lead to buckling
Mechanics of Materials, 5e
Gere

Chapter 11
Columns
Buckling of a column
due to an axial
compressive load P.
equilibrium diagram for buckling of an idealized structure.
Balls in stable, unstable, and neutral equilibrium.
Columns with pinned ends: (a) ideal column; (b) buckled shape; and
(c) axial force P and bending moment M acting at a cross section.
Differential Equation for
Column Buckling
EIv' ' = M
M + Pv = 0 or M = − Pv

M − P ( −v ) = 0
EIv' '+ Pv = 0
Solution of the Differential Equation
let us introduce a positive notation

P P
k =
2
or k=
EI EI

solving the above, we get

v' '+ k 2 v = 0
v = C1 sin kx + C2 cos kx
 Boundary Conditions
v(0) = 0 and v( L) = 0
The first condition gives C2=0,
v = C1 sin kx

The second condition gives

C1 sin kL = 0
C1 cannot be equal to zero, therefore

sin kL = 0

kL = nπ n = 1, 2, 3, .....

n 2π 2 EI
P= 2
n = 1, 2, 3, ......
L
The equation of deflection curve is
nπx
v = C1 sin kx = C1 sin n = 1,2,3,.......
L
Column with pinned ends
(alternative direction of
buckling).
Load deflection diagram for an ideal, linearly elastic column.
 Critical Load
The lowest critical load
π 2 EI
Pcr =
L2

The corresponding buckled shape

(mode shape)
πx
v = C1 sin
L
Buckled shapes for an ideal column with pinned ends:
(a) initially straight column;
(b) buckled shape for n = 1; and
(c) buckled shape for n = 2.
 Pcr π 2 EI
Critical Stress σ cr =
A
=
AL2

I
radius of gyration r=
A
π 2E
σ cr =
(L r )2

L
slenderness ratio =
r
 Important Points
Columns
Are long slender members that are
subjected to axial loads
Critical load
Is the maximum axial load that a column
can support when it is on the verge of
buckling. This load represents a case of
neutral equilibrium.
 Important Points
Ideal column
Is initially perfectly straight, made of
homogenous material, and the load is applied
through the centroid of the cross section
A pin-connected column
Will buckle about the principal axis of the cross
section having the least moment of inertia.
 Important Points
The slenderness ratio is L/r
r = the smallest radius of gyration of the
cross section

Buckling will occur about the axis where

the ratio gives the greatest value
 Example
Length = 7.2 m
Pin-ended column
Compressive strength = 250
MPa
E = 200 GPa
7.2 m
Hollow section,
 outer radius = 75 mm
 Inner radius = 70 mm

Determine the maximum

allowable axial load the
column can support.
 Solution
Critical load
4

[ 1
] 4 
π 200 ×10  π (75) − π (70)  
2 6 4 1 1m 

π EI
2
 4 4 1000 mm  = 228.2 kN
Pcr = 2 =
L (7.2)2
The force creates an average
compressive stress in the column of
Pcr 228.2 ×1000
σ cr = = = 100.2 MPa < 250 MPa
[
A π (75) − π (70 )
2 2
]
Therefore P = 228.2 kN
Effective Lengths of Columns
The effective length of any column Le is the
length of equivalent pinned-end column, that
is, it is the length of a pinned-end column
having a deflection curve that exactly matches
all or part of the deflection curve of the original
column

π 2 EI
Pcr =
L2e
Ideal column fixed at the base and free at the top: (a) initially straight
column, (b) buckled shape for n = 1, (c) buckled shape for n = 3, and
(d) buckled shape for n = 5.
Deflection curves
showing the effective
length Le for a column
fixed at the base and
free at the top.
Buckling of a column with both ends fixed against rotation.
Column fixed at the base and pinned at the top.
Critical loads, effective lengths, and effective-length factors for ideal
columns.
 Example
A 2 m long pin ended column of square
cross section. E = 12.5 GPa, allowable
compressive stress is 12 MPa, using a
factor of safety of 2.5 for computing the
critical buckling load, determine the size
of the cross section if the column is to
safely support (a) a P = 100 kN and (b)
a P = 200 kN.
 Example

E = 12.5 GPa
Allow stress = 12 MPa P = 100 kN
FOS = 2.5 P = 200 kN
s=?
 Solution, P =100 kN
Calculate the second moment of area
bh 3 s 4
I= =
12 12

Using FOS of 2.5, the required critical

load is
PCrit ≥ FS × P = 2.5 ×100 = 250 ×103 N
 Solution, P =100 kN
Based on Euler’s formula
π 2 EI 250 ×103 L2
PCrit = ≥ 250 ×103 N ∴I ≥
L2
π2
250 × 10 3 2
L 250 × 10 3 2
2
s B1 ≥ 4 × 12 = 4 ×12 = 0.0993 m = 99.3 mm
π E
2
π 12.5 ×10
2 9

Stress criterion P P
σ= ≤ σ allow ∴A = s2 ≥
A σ allow
P 100 ×103
sσ 1 ≥ = = 0.0913 m = 91.3 mm
σ allow 12 ×10 6

s ≥ max{s B1 , sσ 1} = 99.3 mm
Solution, P =200 kN PCrit ≥ FS × P = 2.5 × 200 = 500 ×103 N

Based on Euler’s formula

π 2 EI 500 ×103 L2
PCrit = ≥ 500 ×103 N ∴I ≥
L2
π2
500 × 10 3 2
L 500 × 10 3 2
2
sB 2 ≥4 × 12 = 4 ×12 = 0.1181 m = 118.1 mm
π E
2
π 12.5 ×10
2 9

Stress criterion P P
σ= ≤ σ allow ∴A = s2 ≥
A σ allow
P 200 ×103
sσ 2 ≥ = = 0.129 m = 129.1 mm
σ allow 12 ×10 6

s ≥ max{s B 2 , sσ 2 } = 129.1 mm
 Example

Determine the largest load P which may be

applied to the structure shown. Assume E
= 200 GPa, allowable vertical deflection at
point A = 0.5 mm and allowable
compressive and tensile stress = 50 MPa
 Solution
Step 1: Determine the members’ internal
forces.

+ ↑ ∑ Fy = 0 = FAB sin 30 − P ⇒ FAB = 2 P (tension)

+ → ∑ Fx = 0 = FAB cos 30 + FAC ⇒ FAC = − 3P (compression)
 Step 2: Buckling Criterion: consider only
member AC, compression

 bh 3 0.1× 0.053 4  bh 3 0.05 × 0.13 

 I z = = = 1.04167 ×10 m  <  I y =
−6
= = 41.667 ×10 −6 m 4 
 12 12   12 12 

π 2 E AC I AC π 2 × (200 ×109 )× (1.04167 ×10 −6 )

∴ PCrit = 2
= 2
= 32.128 kN
L AC 8
 Step 3: Strength criterion

FAB 2P 50 × 10 6
σ AB = = ≤ σ allow = 50 ×106 ⇒ P = = 125 kN
AAB 0.05 × 0.1 400

FAC 3P 50 ×106
σ AC = = ≤ σ allow = 50 ×10 ⇒ P =
6
= 144.3 kN
AAC 0.05 × 0.1 346.41

From the stress criterion, the maximum

allowable load should be the smallest
one, i.e.
Pσ = 125kN
 Step 4: Stiffness Criterion
Vertical deflection at point A using Castigilano’s
method
L N ∂N ∂N
Mem ∂P
N
∂P
L
(m) (kN)
AB 6 2P 2 24P
AC 8 − 3P − 3 24P
 ∂N 
∑  ∂P  N L 48P

1  ∂N  48 P
∆ Av = ∑ 
AE  ∂P 
NL =
AE
= 4 . 8 × 10 −5
Pm
Pδ =
.0005
= 10.42 kN
−5
4.8 ×10
Step 5: Determine the maximum
allowable load P from the above three
criteria

P = min{PCrit , Pσ , Pδ } = 10.42 kN
 Exercise

Steel pipe
E = 200 GPa
Outside diameter = 100 mm
Wall thickness = 6 mm

Determine the critical value Wcr of the load

 Solution
Wcr = 203 kN
Member AB buckles
 Columns with Eccentric loads
EIv' ' = M
M = M 0 + P(−v) = Pe − Pv

EIv' ' = M = Pe − Pv
or

v' '+ k v = k e
2 2

In which
P P
k2 = or k=
EI EI
 General solution v = C1 sin kx + C2 cos kx + e

Boundary Conditions v(0) = 0 and v( L) = 0

The second condition gives

e(1 − cos kL )
C 2 = −e C1 = − = −e tan kL
sin kL
The second condition gives

 kL 
v = −e tan sin kx + cos kx − 1
 2 
 Maximum Deflection
 L  kL kL kL 
δ = v  = e tan sin + cos − 1
2  2 2 2 
 kL 
Simplifying δ = e sec − 1
 2 
Replacing k
P Pπ 2 π P
k= = 2
=
EI Pcr L L Pcr
π P
Thus the nondimensional term kL become k=
L Pcr
 π P 
Maximum deflection δ = e sec − 1
  2 Pcr 
  π P 
δ = e sec − 1
  2 Pcr 
 Maximum Moment
M max = P(e + δ )

kl π P 
M max = Pe sec = Pe sec 

2 2 Pcr 
 Example
P = 7 kN, e = 11 mm
h = 30 mm, b = 15 mm
E = 100 GPa

Lmax = ? If the deflection at

the end is limited to 3 mm.
 π 2 EI
Slender column fixed-free PCr =
4L2

Moment of inertia bh 3 30 ×153

I= = = 8437.5 mm 4
12 12

π 2 ×110 × 8437.5 2290 N.m 2

PCr = =
4 L2 L2

deflection  π P 
δ = e sec − 1
  2 Pcr 
  π P 
Max permissible deflection δ = e sec − 1
  2 Pcr 

 π 7000 
3 = 11× sec 2
− 1
  2 2290 L 

solving
0.2727 = sec(2.746 L ) − 1

Lmax = 0.243 m
 The Secant Formula for Columns

Maximum stresses
in a column under
eccentric load
P M max c
σ max = +
A I

π P 
M max = Pe sec 

2 Pcr 

 L P 
M max = Pe sec 
 2r EA 
Substituting

P Pec  L P 
σ max = + sec 
A I  2r EA 

The secant formula for an eccentrically loaded

column with pinned ends

P  ec  L P 
σ max = 1 + 2 sec 
A  r  2r EA 
 P  ec  L P 
σ max = 1 + 2 sec 
A  r  2r EA 

The secant formula gives the maximum

compressive stress in the column as a
function of
 Average compressive stress P/A
 E

 Two non-dimensional ratios

 Slenderness ratio L/r
 Eccentricity ratio
ec
2
r
 Secant Formula
Compressive
strength =
250 MPa
E = 200 GPa
Buckling of Symmetric Structures
 Remember the Third Dimension
Lateral buckling of the compression chords of
a girder bridge

Inadequate bracing Adequate bracing

Example
 Compression as a Destabiliser
P
P

A HA A
l
B kvB B

l
C HC C

VC
vB
 ∑F = 0 y
VC = P P
1
∑F = 0
x H A = H C = kvB
2 HA A
∑ M @ B = 0 B is a pin
∑ M @ B = H l − Pv A B =0 kvB B

Thus 1
kvB l = PvB
2 HC C

With a displaced position being in equilibrium

when VC
1
P= kl Buckling load vB
2
A Multi-degree of Freedom Problem vB
P P

A A

l
FB
B B
l
C FC C

l
D D

vC
 vB
FB = P(2vB − vC ) / l = kvB P

and FC = P(−vB + 2vC ) / l = kvC A

or P  2 − 1 vB  v B 
    = k  FB
l − 1 2  vC  vC 
B

This is a 2 × 2 eigenvalue problem, which has

FC C
two non-zero solutions for P as follows:

vC
(i). With {vB vC} in the ratio {1 -1}, the
equation is satisfied when P = kl/3
(ii). With {vB vC} in the ratio {1 1}, the
equation is satisfied when P = kl
(i). With {vB vC} in kl/3

the ratio {1 -1}, A

the equation is
satisfied when P B
= kl/3

D
(ii). With {vB vC} in kl
the ratio {1 1},
A
the equation is
satisfied when
P = kl B

D
 Quebec Bridge
Built: 1904 – 1907
Status: collapsed (1907)
Location: Near Quebec, Quebec, Canada
Crosses: Saint Lawrence

Persons involved with this structure

Designer Theodore Cooper
 Firms, offices, involved with this
structure

Construction Phoenix Bridge Company

 Technical information

Construction materials used : Steel

Truss
Main Span: 549 m
 Chronology

August 1907
Buckling is noticed in some plates near the tower base. Theodore Cooper
orders a halt of construction which never reaches the site.
29 August 1907, 15:00
After examining reports about buckling problems during construction of the
bridge, Theodore Cooper sends a telegram to John Deans, chief
engineer of the Phoenix Bridge Company on site. The telegram orders
Deans to halt all works until the phenomenon has been studied in
detail. Deans ignores it.
29 August 1907, 17:15
The bridge collapses 15 minutes before end of the working day. 85
workers crash into the waters, only 11 survive.
 Buckling

Buckled
chord
 Snap-through Buckling
Snap-through buckling of shallow arches
 Snap-through Buckling

Buckle remains when Snap-back occurs

loading is removed when loading is
removed
 Lateral-torsional Buckling

Lateral-torsional
buckling of a
cantilever beam
Lateral-torsional Buckling
Milford Haven Bridge Collapse

A Steel Box Girder Bridge

A bridge at Milford Haven, Wales ,
collapsed during construction on June
2, 1970 , killing four men.