Aircraft Structural Mechanics Lab Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT-Bombay Lab Manual Series M.

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Experiment 12: Buckling Test

Aim: To Study the buckling of beams/columns and to determine the critical/buckling load. Apparatus and Materials: Strain Bridge Indicator, Universal Testing Machine, Channel Selector, Vernier calipers, Dial gauges Theory: When a compressive axial load acts on a beam, ideally it would get compressed; however real life systems have eccentricities which can make the beam buckle and it can become unstable. Buckling can be due to the following reasons: a) If the line of action of force doesn't coincide with the theoretical axial load line then a moment is created which tries to bend the beam (loading eccentricity). b) The theoretical load line may not be a straight line hence any axial loading will create moments (mass eccentricities). c) There may be some initial deflection in the beam which lets the assumed axial loading to become eccentric and produce moments (manufacturing defects). As the loading increases, so does the bending moments due to eccentricity till the critical load after which the bending becomes unstable i.e., large deflections are obtained with small change in the load. Bifurcation point is the point on the load deflection curve for an ideal beam with no initial deflection defined as the point where the curve takes a 90 degree turn. Equilibrium is stable if the load applied is below critical load and any small perturbation in lateral direction is resisted i.e., the restoring moment is greater than the disturbing moment. If the load applied is greater than the critical load then slightest perturbation in lateral direction will result in augmentation of this perturbation and the beam deflection goes unstable. This is unstable equilibrium. If load is equal to critical load then no effect will be observed after giving perturbation, the beam attains a new equilibrium state. This is neutral stability. South well Plot is plotted between deflection and d/P. using this south well plot shown in the figure 2, the critical load can be determined.

Aircraft Structural Mechanics Lab Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT-Bombay Lab Manual Series M.Tech05 Batch

Fig 1: Typical Load deflection curve for a beam under axial loading showing buckling

Fig 2: South well Plot to find critical load

Aircraft Structural Mechanics Lab Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT-Bombay Lab Manual Series M.Tech05 Batch

Procedure: Column: Thin and short i.e. L/d < 12 Boundary conditions: fixed-fixed Setup: A short column placed on a universal testing machine giving compression load by means of displacement. Strain gauges attached on both sides of the column, dial gauges on both the sides, strain indicator reading the signals from strain gauges. The specimen is placed on the Universal Testing Machine with strain gauges attached to the specimen. Dial gauges, used for measuring lateral deflection, are then properly placed, such that their tip touches the surface of the beam with some initial compression in the probe. The compression process starts with the crosshead speed of 2 mm per minute. The value of strains, deflection shown by the dial gauges and the load-deflection displayed by the UTM instrumentation are noted down for different load. Initially the incremental lateral deflection is small with increasing load so for an increase of 0.02 mm axial displacement the corresponding lateral deflection value is noted down. But as the load approaches the critical value a small change in load produces large deflection so to ease the process of acquiring data, load value is noted down for incremental lateral deflection. Corresponding strain values are also noted. Following plots are then made: a) S1, S2 vs. P: From this plot Pcr be found approximately by finding the point of intersection of the asymptotes of the two curves corresponding to S1 and S2 b) (S1 + S2)/2 vs. P: This plot corresponds to the axial strains developed. c) (S1 -S2)/2 Vs. P: This plots the bending strains developed at the surface d) P Vs. : From this plot Pcr be found approximately by finding the y-intercept of the asymptote of the curve. e) ( /P) Vs : This is South well Plot, through which the critical load can be found more accurately and is equal to the inverse of the slope of the straight line obtained.

Aircraft Structural Mechanics Lab Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT-Bombay Lab Manual Series M.Tech05 Batch Report your Observations and plot the different graphs Results: From the graph, following results for Pcr have been obtained a) From S1, S2 vs. P graph Pcr = b) From (S1 + S2)/2 vs. P graph Pcr = c) From (S1 -S2)/2 Vs. P graph Pcr = d) From P Vs. graph Pcr = e) From ( /P) Vs graph Pcr = N N N N N

Report 1 set of calculations and discuss about the results obtained

Exercise: 1. Write the r formula for critical buckling load 2. What is the physical significance of equivalent length? What are the equivalent lengths for simply supported, fixed-fixed, cantilever beams etc. 3. What are the precautions to be taken in this experiment? 4. What bridge circuit is used in the setup? 5. Record typical observations in the different graphs and figure out possible reasons.