SOLID MECHANICS II

BMCS 3113
Column
Extension of Euler's Formula , Secant
Formula
 Columns

 Extension of Euler's formula to columns

with other end conditions

 Eccentric loading: the secant formula

 Columns Having Various Types of Supports

• From free-body diagram, M = P(  ).

• Differential equation for the deflection curve,

d 2 P P
2
   
dx EI EI

• Solving by using boundary conditions

and integration, we get
  P 
   1  cos x 
  EI 
 Columns Having Various Types of Supports

• Thus, smallest critical load occurs when n = 1, so that

 2 EI
Pcr 
4L2
• By comparing with equation Euler buckling, a column
fixed-supported at its base will carry only one-fourth the
critical load applied to a pin-supported column.
Columns Having Various Types of Supports

• A column with one fixed and one free

end, will behave as the upper-half of a
pin-connected column.

• The critical loading is calculated from

Euler’s formula,

 2 EI
Pcr  2
Le
Le  2 L  effective length
 Columns Having Various Types of Supports

Effective length
• If a column is not supported by pinned-ends, then Euler’s
formula can also be used to determine the critical load.
• “L” must then represent the distance between the zero-
moment points.
• This distance is called the columns’ effective length, Le.
Columns Having Various Types of Supports
 Columns Having Various Types of Supports

Effective length
• Many design codes provide column formulae that use a
dimensionless coefficient K, known as the effective-length
factor.
Le  KL
• Thus, Euler’s formula can be expressed as

 2 EI
Pcr 
KL 2
 2E
 cr 
KL r 2

• Here (KL/r) is the column’s effective-slenderness ratio.

Columns Having Various Types of Supports
 Example

A W15024 steel column is 8 m

long and is fixed at its ends as
shown. Its load-carrying capacity
is increased by bracing it about
the y-y axis using struts that are
assumed to be pin-connected
to its mid-height. Determine the
load it can support so that the
column does not buckle nor
material exceed the yield stress.
Take Est = 200 GPa and Y = 410
MPa.
 Example

 Buckling behavior is different

about the x and y axes due to
bracing.
 Buckled shape for each case
is shown in Figure.
 The effective length for
buckling about the x-x axis is
(KL)x = 0.5(8 m) = 4 m.
 For buckling about the y-y
axis, (KL)y = 0.7(8 m/2) = 2.8
m.

 We get Ix = 13.4106 mm4 and Iy = 1.83106 mm4 from

standard.
 Example

Applying Equation of buckling,

Pcr x 
     
 2 EI x  2 200 106 kN/m 2 13.4 106 m 4

2
KL x 4 m 2
Pcr x  1653.2 kN

Pcr y 
 2 EI y

     
 2 200 106 kN/m 2 1.83 106 m 4
2
KL y 2.8 m 2
Pcr y  460.8 kN

By comparison, buckling will occur about the y-y axis.

 Example

Area of x-section is 3060 mm2, so average compressive

stress in column will be

 cr  
 
Pcr 460.8 103 N
 150.6 N/mm 2
A 3060 m 2

Since cr < Y = 410 MPa, buckling will occur before the
material yields.
 Example

NOTE: From Equation of buckling, we see that buckling always

occur about the column axis having the largest slenderness
ratio. Thus using data for the radius of gyration,
 KL  4 m1000 mm/m 
    60.4
 r x 66.2 mm
 KL  2.8 m1000 mm/m 
    114 .3
 r y 24.5 mm

Hence, y-y axis buckling will occur, which is the same conclusion
reached by comparing result of buckling for both axes.
 Example 2

Each of the five struts of an aluminium tube that has a 32 mm outer diameter
And a 4 mm wall thickness. Using E=70GPa and a factor of safety of 2.3,
Determine the allowable load P0 for each support condition
 Eccentric loading Secant Formula

• The actual criterion for load application on a column is limited

to either a specified deflection of the column or by not
allowing the maximum stress in
the column exceed an
allowable stress.
• We apply a load P to column
at a short eccentric distance
e from centroid of x-section.
• This is equivalent to applying
a load P and moment
M’ = Pe.
 Secant Formula

• From free-body diagram, internal moment in column is

M   Pe   
• The deflection become
d 2  P  Pe
2

dx EI
• Thus, the general solution for the differential equation of the
deflection curve is
P P
  A sin x  B cos xe
EI EI
 Secant Formula

• Applying boundary conditions to determine the

constants, deflection curve is written as

  P L  P   P  

  e tan  
sin s   cos
 x   1

  EI 2   EI   EI  
Maximum deflection
• Due to symmetry of loading, both maximum deflection
and maximum stress occur at column’s midpoint.
Therefore, when x = L/2,  = max, so    P
max  e sec  1
 2 Pcr 

  P L 
 max  e  sec   1

  EI 2   or
 Secant Formula

The Secant Formula

• Maximum stress in column occur when
maximum moment occurs at the column’s
midpoint.
Using Equations bending moment andmax,

M  Pe   max 
 P L
M  Pe sec 

 EI 2 

• Maximum stress is compressive and

P Mc P Pec  P L 
 max   ;  max   sec 
A I A I  EI 2 
 Secant Formula

The Secant Formula

• Since radius of gyration r2 = I/A,
P  ec  L P 
 max  1  2 sec 
A  r  2r EA 

• max = maximum elastic stress in column, at inner concave side

of midpoint (compressive).
• P = vertical load applied to the column. P < Pcr unless e = 0,
then P = Pcr
• e = eccentricity of load P, measured from the neutral axis of
column’s x-sectional area to line of action of P.
 Secant Formula

The Secant Formula

• c = distance from neutral axis to outer fiber of column where
maximum compressive stress max occurs.
• A = x-sectional area of column
• L = unsupported length of column in plane of bending. For
non pin-supported columns, Le should be used.
• E = modulus of elasticity of material.
• r = radius of gyration, r = √(I/A), where I is computed about
the neutral or bending axis.
 Secant Formula

Design
• Once eccentricity ratio has been determined, column data can
be substituted into Equation of maximum stress.
• For max = Y, corresponding load PY is determined from a trial-
and-error procedure, since eqn is transcendental and cannot
be solved explicitly for PY.
• Note that PY will always be smaller than the critical load Pcr,
since Euler’s formula assumes unrealistically that column is
axially loaded without eccentricity.
 Secant Formula

IMPORTANT
• Due to imperfections in manufacturing or application of the
load, a column will never suddenly buckle, instead it begins to
bend.
• The load applied to a column is related to its deflections in a
nonlinear manner, so the principle of superposition does not
apply.
• As the slenderness ratio increases, eccentrically loaded columns
tend to fail at or near the Euler buckling load.
 Example

An axial load P is applied to the 30 mm

diamter steel rod AB as shown. For P =
35 kN and e = 1.5 mm, determine:
i) The deflection at midpoint C of the rod
ii) The maximum stress in the rod. Use E =
200 GPa
 Example

Solution:
Example
 Example

The W20059 A-36 steel column

shown is fixed at its base and
braced at the top so that it is fixed
from displacement, yet free to
rotate about the y-y axis.

Also, it can sway to the side in the

y-z plane. Determine the
maximum eccentric load the
column can support before it
either begins to buckle or the steel
yields.
 Example

From support conditions, about the y-y axis,

the column behaves as if it was pinned at the
top, fixed at the base and subjected to an
axial load P.
About the x-x axis, the column is free at the
top and fixed at the base, and subjected to
both axial load P and moment M = P(200
mm).
 Example

y-y axis buckling:

Effective length factor is Ky = 0.7, so (KL)y = 0.7(4 m) = 2.8 m =
2800 mm. Using shape standard to determine Iy for the section
and applying Equation of centric buckling,

Pcr y 
 2 EI y

     
 2 200 103 N/mm2 20.4 106 mm4
2
KL y 2800 mm2
 5136247 N  5136 kN
 Example

x-x axis yielding:

Kx = 2, so (KL)x = 2(4 m) = 8 m = 8000 mm. From table in
standard, A = 7580 mm2, c = 210 mm/2 = 105 mm, and rx =
89.9 mm, applying secant formula,

Px  ec  KL x Px 
 Y  1  2 sec 
A  rx  2rx EA 
Px  200  105  8000 Px 
250  1 sec 
 289.9  200103  7580 
7580  2
89.9
 
1.895  106  Px 1  2.598sec 1.143  103 Px 
 Example

x-x axis yielding:

Solving for Px by trial and error, noting that argument for
secant is in radians, we get
Px  419368 N  419.4 kN

Since this value is less than (Pcr)y = 5136 kN, failure will occur
about the x-x axis.
Also,  = 419.4103 N / 7580 mm2
= 55.3 MPa < Y = 250 MPa.
 Eccentric Loading; The Secant
Formula
Eccentric loading is equivalent to a centric load
and a couple.
Bending occurs for any nonzero eccentricity.
Question of buckling becomes whether the
resulting deflection is excessive.

The deflection becomes infinite when P = Pcr

d2y  Py  Pe
2

dx EI
  P    2 EI
ymax  e sec   1
 Pcr 
  2 Pcr   L2e
Maximum stress
P  y  e c 
 max  1  max2 
A r 
P  ec  1 P Le 
 1  sec 
A  r 2  2 EA r 
10- 32
 Eccentric Loading; The Secant
Formula

Fig. 10.24 Load per unit area, P/A, causing yield in column.

P  ec  1 P Le 
 max   Y  1  2 sec 
A r  2 EA r 
10- 33
 Sample Problem 10.2
The uniform column consists of an 2.4 m section
of structural tubing having the cross-section
shown.

a) Using Euler’s formula and a factor of safety

of two, determine the allowable centric load
for the column and the corresponding
normal stress.
b) Assuming that the allowable load, found in
part a, is applied at a point 18 mm from the
geometric axis of the column, determine the
E  200 GPa horizontal deflection of the top of the column
and the maximum normal stress in the
column.

10- 34
 Sample Problem 10.2
SOLUTION:
Maximum allowable centric load:

- Effective length,
Le  22.4 m   4.8 m

- Critical load,

 2 EI  2 200 109 Pa 3.33 106 m 4 

Pcr  2 
Le 4.8 m 2
 285.3 kN

- Allowable load,
Pcr 285.3 kN
Pall   Pall  142.7 kN
FS 2
P 142700 N
  all    62.5 MPa
A 2284 10-6 m 2
10- 35
 Sample Problem 10.2
Eccentric load:

- End deflection,
  P  
ym  e sec   1

  2 Pcr  
    
 18 mm sec   1
  2 2  

ym  22.5 mm

- Maximum normal stress,

P  ec   P 

 m  1  2 sec 
A  r 2 Pcr 
142700 N  0.018 m 0.05 m    
 1  sec 
2284  10-6 m 2  0.038 m 2
 2 2 

 m  150.2 MPa
10- 36
 Design of Columns Under Centric Load
Previous analyses assumed stresses
below the proportional limit and
initially straight, homogeneous
columns

Experimental data demonstrate

- for large Le/r, cr follows Euler’s
formula and depends upon E
but not Y.

- for small Le/r, cr is

determined by the yield
strength Y and not E.

- for intermediate Le/r, cr

depends on both Y and E.

10- 37
Example 1 – Secant Method
Solution 1 – Secant Method
Example 2 – Secant Method
Solution 2 – Secant Method
Example 3 – Secant Method
Solution 3 – Secant Method
Exercise 1 – Secant Method
Exercise 1 – Secant Method
Exercise 2 – Secant Method
Exercise 2 – Secant Method