COLUMNS and STRUTS

Prof. S. K. Prasad
Department of Civil Engineering
Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering
JSS Science and Technology University
Mysuru – 570 006
 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

Learning Outcome

The students are introduced to

• the concepts of Elastic Stability of Columns

and struts

• Euler’s Theory for critical load in long

columns for different cases

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

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Program No. 23

Slender Column ?

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

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Typical failure of columns

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

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Program No. 23

Structural members

Columns Compressive forces

and Lengths are large compared to lateral
Struts dimensions
Often subjected to axial forces
Although – loaded eccentrically

Columns are vertical compressive members

Struts are Inclined compressive members

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23
Radius of Gyration
It is the distribution of the components of an object
around an axis. It is the perpendicular distance from
the axis of rotation to a point of mass that gives an
equivalent inertia to the original object.

It has the unit of length

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

Effective Length of Column (le)

It is the length of an imaginary column with both ends

hinged and whose critical load is same as that of
actual column with given end conditions.

Note - Material and geometric properties same in

above columns

Effective length depends on its end conditions

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23
SLENDERNESS RATIO (λ)

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CLASSIFICATION OF COLUMNS

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Short Column
Essentially fails by bulging or crushing
and not by buckling

Short Compression
Member

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Short Column
Essentially fails by bulging or crushing and not by buckling
P

P
Ductile Material

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Short Column
Essentially fails by bulging or crushing and not by buckling

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

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Long Column
Essentially fails by buckling and not by crushing
Stress at failure < yield stress

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

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Long Column
Essentially fails by buckling and not by crushing
Stress at failure < yield stress

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

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Intermediate Column :
Fails by a combination of crushing and buckling

if

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CRITICAL LOAD AND BUCKLING

Long column : P – Axial load F – a small test load – lateral direction

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
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CRITICAL LOAD AND BUCKLING

Long column : P – Axial load F – a small test load – lateral direction

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23
CRITICAL LOAD AND BUCKLING

Long column : P – Axial load F – a small test load – lateral direction

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23
CRITICAL LOAD AND BUCKLING

Long column : P – Axial load F – a small test load – lateral direction

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

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Effective Lengths for some standard cases

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Buckling behaviour for different end conditions

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EULER’S THEORY
Theoretical analysis to estimate critical load for
long columns
- Great Swiss mathematician Leonard Euler
(pronounced as Oiler),
- Developed in 1757

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

ASSUMPTIONS IN EULER’S THEORY

• The column is long and fails by buckling

• The column is axially loaded
• The column is perfectly straight and the cross
sections are uniform (prismatic)
• The column is initially free from stress
• The column is perfectly elastic, homogenous and
isotropic

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23
EULERS CRITICAL LOAD FOR LONG COLUMNS

Case (1) Both ends hinged

Long column with both ends hinged
subjected to critical load P

Bending moment in terms of load P and deflection y is

M=–Py ---------(1)

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

For beams / columns the bending moment is proportional to the

curvature of the beam, which, for small deflection can be expressed as

or --------------(2)

Where E – Young’s modulus, I – Moment of Inertia

Substituting eq.(1) in eq.(2)

or

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Second order differential equation The general solution is of form

--------(3)

Where C1 and C2 are constants

Constants can be evaluated by applying the boundary conditions

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--------(3)

Boundary condition (i)

y = 0 at x =0

From eq. (3)

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--------(3)

Boundary condition (ii) y = 0 at x = L

From eq. (3)

Here either or

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Hence or Here, n =0,1,2,3….....

Taking least significant value of n, i.e. n=1, we have

or

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 Strength of Materials
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Euler’s Critical Load for Long Columns

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 Strength of Materials
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Summary
You were introduced to terminologies
• Columns & Struts
• Long, Intermediate & Short Columns
• Slenderness Ratio
• Effective Length of column
• Critical Load

We derived expression for critical load of column

with both ends hinged

COLUMNS AND STRUTS

Best of Luck
 Strength of Materials
Program No. 23

Built-up Section
It is a structural member made from individual plates
or tubes or angles riveted / welded / bolted together to
improve its strength and stiffness in steel construction
industry.

COLUMNS AND STRUTS