Notes on using ANSYS Workbench for Linear Buckling Problems

• A linear buckling analysis requires a pre-stress step (static structural)

followed by the linear buckling analysis.
• If the pre-stress is a combination of a static unchanging load and an
increasing load, then the goal is to iterate the buckling until a load factor of 1
is achieved.
o The load factor is the factor that multiplies all loads, such that at that
load buckling will occur.
• The stress stiffness matrix is automatically calculated in a linear buckling
analysis. This additional stiffness matrix may result in stress stiffening or
softening under pressure loads.
o In workbench, you specify step or ramped loading by either starting
the load at t=0 as 0 or as the final value.
o It is important to have the final load at t=0 because that is the stress
state the stress stiffening matrix is calculated at.