Advanced Stress Analysis and Materials

ME7723 – AE7723

Buckling Theory:
Euler struts - Imperfect Euler
struts

Dr Santiago Esconjauregui

c.esconjauregui@kingston.ac.uk
RVMB211

2020_21
 Is it possible to predict column
deformation and thus avoid collapse
of structures?

2
 Aims and objectives

You will learn:

• The concept of buckling and column theory.

• To analyse the governing parameters on buckling.

• How to evaluate and compute stress in engineering structures.

• How to analyse engineering problems concerning deformation

and collapse.

3
Compression members

4
 Compression members

Buckling of columns is a form of deformation

as a result of axial-compression forces.

This leads to column bending and may lead

to a quick and extremely dangerous failure.

Length of the member, material properties, section properties,

and type of end connections will determine how or if a column
will buckle.

Long columns compared to their thickness will experience

elastic buckling at stress levels less than the ultimate stress of
the column. 5
Equilibrium of a structure

6
Deviation from equilibrium state

7
Stable state of equilibrium

8
Neutral state of equilibrium

9
Unstable state of equilibrium

10
Buckling analysis of a column

11
 Formal definition of buckling

Buckling refers to excessive deflection of a slender column due to

axial compressive load when a transverse displacement is
introduced (*), that is to say that the value exceeds a certain
critical limit.

Stability refers to the ability of a column to tolerate random

deviations from its state of equilibrium.

(*): in case of a pure compression, there is no buckling; buckling

may occur when a non-pure compression takes place
(equivalently, when the axial compressive load has some type of
eccentricity).

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Buckling analysis of a column

behaviour

13
Buckling analysis of a column

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Buckling analysis of a column

Fcr

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 Strength and stability conditions
For strength condition the maximum load Fmax must satisfy:

Fmax < syc A

where A is the cross-sectional area of the slender structural

member in compression and syc is the yield limit in compression of
the material used to manufacture the structural member.

For stability condition the maximum load must satisfy:

Fmax < FCr

where FCr is the maximum load that the column can carry just
before instability (collapse).
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Euler buckling pin-pin

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Euler buckling pin-pin

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Euler buckling pin-pin

19
Euler buckling pin-pin

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Euler buckling pin-pin

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 Euler buckling pin-pin

From pinned-pinned to fixed-fixed to fixed-pinned connection, they are each

represented in the Euler equation with different values of ‘n.’
The fixed-fixed connection increases the allowable stress before buckling more than
any of the other end connections.

Buckling occurs differently for different materials. The material factor is given in the
Euler’s equation with ‘E” and ‘I’. In steel columns, this occurs elastically. This differs for
reinforced concrete. Steel rebar can be bent outward and the concrete brakes apart.
With a more brittle material, the phenomenon is more sudden. 22
Effect of end conditions

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Slenderness ratio

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25
26
Compressive vs. buckling theory

Same area for both

columns, but
different length
l2
l2>>>>l1

l1

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Example 1

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 Example 1

20 mm

25 mm

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Example 1

81.4

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Example 2

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 Example 2

 (r ) 4  (25mm)4 I  3.07 105 mm4 

I= = = 3.07  10 mm
5 4
k=  =  2 
 = 12.5mm
4 4  A  1963 .5mm 

Le 1000mm
A =  (r )2 =  (25mm)2 = 1963.5mm2 = = 80
k 12.5mm

Le
= 1  Le = L  1 = 1.0m  1 = 1.0m  Le = 1000mm
L

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 Example 2

n 2 EI
Fcr =
(Le )2

N
200GPa = 200  103 MPa = 200  103
mm2

 2 EI  2  200 103 N  3.07 105 mm 4

Fe = = = 605994 N  Fe = 606kN
(Le )
2 2
mm (1000mm) 2

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 Example 2

Le   2E   2
 200  10 3
MPa
=  = = 81.11
k  s  300 MPa
 y 

Minimum slenderness ratio for Euler to apply is 2 x 81.11 = 162.22

Le = 162.22 x 12.5 = 2027.75 mm = 2.02m

Le Le 2.02
1.013m
m
=1 L = = = 1.2.02
013m m
L 1 1 34
 Example 3
A mild steel strut of length L= 3.0m has a tubular cross-section with external
diameter 60mm. The wall thickness is 6mm. The strut has one fixed and one
pinned end (the effective length 0.7 L). Determine the boundary conditions for
buckling to occur and the critical buckling load for the strut. The compressive
yield stress for the material is 350 MPa, and the Young’s modulus is 250 GPa.
Determine the shortest length of strut so that buckling, according to Euler’s
theory, will occur after yield.

35
 Example 3

v = 0 at z = 0 and z = L, where v is the vertical deflection

 (R4 − r 4 )  ((30mm) 4 − (24mm) 4 )

I= = = 3.76 105 mm 4
4 4

A =  ( R 2 − r 2 ) =  ((30mm) 2 − (24mm) 2 ) = 1017.88mm 2

Le = L  0.7 = 3m  0.7 = 2.1m  Le = 2100mm

I  3.76 105 mm 4 

k =   =  2 
 = 19.22mm
 A  1017.88mm 

Le 2100mm
= = 109.26
k 19.22mm

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 Example 3
N
250GPa = 250 103 MPa = 250 103
mm 2

 2 EI  2  250 103 N  3.76 105 mm 4

Fcr = = = 210372 N  Fcr = 210.4kN
(Le )
2 2
mm (2100mm) 2

Le   2E   2
 250  10 3
MPa
=  = = 83.96
 
k  sy  350MPa

Le
= 83.96  Le = 83.96  k = 83.96 19.22mm = 1613.71mm  Le = 1.61m
k

Le L 1.61m
= 0.7  L = e = = 2.30m
L 0.7 0.7

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Imperfect Euler struts

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Imperfect Euler struts

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Imperfect Euler struts

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Example 4

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 Example 4

 (R4 − r 4 )  ((40mm) 4 − (30mm) 4 )

I= = = 1.37 106 mm 4
4 4

F 100 103 N
= = −2
= 5.896 10 − 4 mm −1
EI (210 10 Nmm )  (1.37 10 mm )
3 6 4

 L   5.896 10 −4 mm −1  3500mm 

vmax = e  (sec  − 1) = e  (sec  − 1) = e  [sec(1.0318) − 1]
 2   2 

42
 Example 4

1 1
vmax = e  [sec(1.0318) − 1] = e  [sec(59.11) − 1] = e  ( − 1) = e  ( − 1) = e  0.947
cos 59.11 0.5133

vmax = 0.947  e 1.0318rad = 59.11

15mm
15mm = 0.947  e  e = = 15.83mm  e  16mm
0.947

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Imperfect Euler struts

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Example 5

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Example 5

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Example 5

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Example 5

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Example 5

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Example 5

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Example 5

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Example 5

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