CONCEPT OF EQUILLIBRIUM, INSTABILITY AND CRITICAL LOAD AS APPLIED TO COMPRESSION

MEMBERS:

INRODUCTION:

Column can be classified based on slenderness ratio and supporting condition. Based on
supporting condition column can be categorized into four type,

1) Both sides pinned

2) Both side fixed

3) One side fixed and other side free

4) One side fixed and other side pinned.

And based on slenderness ratio, there are three of column,

1) Short column

2) Long Column

3) Intermediate column, also shown in figure.

Classification of Column based on Slenderness ratio

Definitions
stability – a state of a secular equilibrium of a structural member
buckling – a law of a structure movement. There are three types of equilibrium state: secular
(stable), neutral and unstable.
There are in Three types of equilibrium
1. Stable equilibrium
2. Unstable equilibrium
3. Neutral equilibrium

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 1. Stable equilibrium:
In the stable state the system returns to its original position.

2. Unstable equilibrium:
In the unstable state the system buckles significantly and doesn’t return to its original
position.

3. Neutral equilibrium:

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 In the neutral equilibrium state the system doesn’t return to its original position from a
neighbourhood.

Critical load:
When a compression force, applied to a pole, increases constantly, the pole remains stable up to some
value of the force, shown in figure When the critical value of the force is reached, we observe a
bifurcation point and the pole exits from the stable state. The displacements of the pole become
undetermined.

Critical force and bifurcation point

Above the bifurcation point the rectilinear form of the pole equilibrium is not possible.
The loss of stability is very dangerous for three reasons:
• The important deformations of the system usually mean its collapse,
• The system’s collapse is instantaneous, not leaving time for any rescue action,
• There are no signs before the catastrophe.

Euler Buckling Load:

It provides a simple starting point for the stability analysis of structures that are subjected to instability
buckling. For example, the column in Figures will fail due to instability buckling when the column
displaces as shown in Figures. That is, assuming the column span, L, is of sufficient length so that failure

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due to crushing does not take place. When the buckling load is determined for this ideal column, then
the following assumptions need to be made.
1. The column is perfectly straight.
2. The ends of the column are simply supported.
3. The compressive axial load is static and applied at the centroid of the column.
4. The material follows Hook’s law and is free of initial or residual stress.

The critical load is that load for which equilibrium for a straight and slightly bent configuration is
possible. For relative small deflections it can be seen that the state of equilibrium is given by the
following equations.
The external moment is given by,
M z-external = Py
and the internal moment is given by
M z-external = EIx (d2 y/ dx)= -EI x x”
Where,

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E is Young’s modulus,
I is the moment of inertia of the cross section, and
EI is the flexural rigidity.
Structural Instability:
Structural members in compression are susceptible to failure by buckling when the compressive load
exceeds a critical load (Buckling load)
There are Multiple types of buckling
Euler Buckling of columns
• for small, Elastic deflections of perfect, Slender columns
• variety of boundary conditions
• physically – if you apply a compressive load to a column, at some value of load it will suddenly
bow (or buckle)

There are many such limit states the structural design engineer has to consider, such as excessive
deflection, large rotations at joints, cracking of metal or concrete, corrosion, or excessive vibration
under dynamic loads, to name a few. The one limit state that we will consider here is the limit state
where the structure passes from a stable to an unstable
condition.

Structural instability is generally associated with the presence of compressive axial force or axial strain
in a plate element that is part of a cross-section of a beam or a column. Local instability occurs in a
single portion of a member, such as local web buckling of a steel beam. Member instability occurs
when an isolated member becomes unstable, such as the buckling of a diagonal brace. However,
member instability may precipitate a system instability. System instabilities are often catastrophic.
Cellular members are I-section steel members with evenly spaced round web openings. The main
advantage these members have over plain-webbed I section members is their optimized material use
in strong-axis bending.
Consequently, they are principally used for applications in which they are loaded in bending, but they
are also applied in cases where they are subjected to a combination of a compressive force and a
bending moment.
For cellular members loaded in bending, the current design approaches for global buckling give
conflicting results, while for compressed cellular members and members loaded in compression and
bending, research is
lacking altogether.
Cellular members are steel I-section members with evenly spaced round web openings, made from
hot-rolled I-section members (Fig). Compared with beams without web openings of the same weight,
the bending resistance and stiffness of cellular beams will be considerably higher.
Cellular members are mostly used for applications in which they are loaded in strong-axis bending,
their increased bending resistance being their major advantage. However, they are also used in
applications in which they are subjected to a combination of a (relatively large) bending moment and
a compressive force. Additionally, they can have tapered or curved shapes, and they can also be used
in steel-concrete composite structures. An overview of some cellular member applications is given in
Fig.

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Cellular beam applications

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