COMPRESSION

MEMBERS ,.
The failure of members in compression
are due either to the load exceeding the
strength (crushing) or due to buckling
under the load, because the applied load
is larger than the critical buckling load.

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 COMPRESSION
MEMBERS

Crushing failure – 1985

Mexico earthquake.

Buckling failure

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 COMPRESSION
Actuators MEMBERS

Members in
compression CIVIL4M
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. Connecting rods 3
 COMPRESSION
MEMBERS

Trusses

Structures

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COLUMN DESIGN – EULER COLUMN
Euler formula Euler column – both ends
are pinned or rounded
M = - Py

From deflection of beam, relating curvature to the

moment, we have:

M d2y
= 2
EI dx

Rearranging the terms:

d 2y + P y = 0 Second order, linear, and homogeneous

dx2 EI differential equation

Solution:
P
y = A sin ( P x)
EI
+ B cos( EI x)
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 COLUMN DESIGN – EULER COLUMN
y = 0 at x = 0
Boundary conditions
y = 0 at x = l
No deflections at
the ends

P
y = A sin ( P x)
EI
+ B cos( EI x)

Applying the first boundary condition:

0 = (0) + B (1) B=0

Applying the second boundary condition:

P l)
0 = A sin ( EI
For a nontrivial solution, A cannot be zero.
Therefore:

0 = sin ( P
l) P l=n,
EI Where n is an integer, n =1, 2, 3, ….
EI
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 COLUMN DESIGN – EULER COLUMN
The smallest load occurs when n = 1, therefore,

P
EI l = 

2 E I
Pcritical = Euler formula
2
l

Buckling is avoided if the applied load is less than the critical load

Papplied < Pcritical

Note: the strength of a material has no influence on the critical

load, only the modulus of elasticity effects the critical load
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 EULER COLUMN – END CONDITIONS AND EFFECTIVE
LENGTH

Euler’s
end
condition

Pinned-Pinned, or Fixed-sliding Fixed-Free Fixed-pinned Fixed-Fixed

rounded-rounded

2E I
Pcr =
American Institute (leff)2
of Steel
Construction

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Mechanical Engineering Dept. 8
 EULER COLUMN – SLENDERNESS RATIO,
SR
I=Ak2, where k = radius of gyration

2 E I
Pcritical = Euler formula
2
l

2 E 2
r (l/k) is called
Where S =
(Pcritical / A ) = the slenderness ratio.
(l/k)2
Design graph
Failure by
yielding
Sy
Failure by
buckling
Safe 2 E
P/A Euler’s equation
zone (l/k) 2

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l / k slenderness ratio 9
 EULER COLUMN – DESIGN
CURVE
Failure occurs in the
safe zone
Sy

Safe 2 E
P/A
zone (l/k)2

l / k slenderness ratio

Sy

Sy / 2
B 2 E
(l/k)2
P/A

(l / k)B
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l / k slenderness ratio 10
 DESIGN CURVE – JOHNSON’S EQUATION
Point B is also on the Euler’s equation

Sy

Sy / 2
B 2 E
P/A (l/k)2

(l / k)B
l / k slenderness ratio

2 E 2 E
(Pcr / A ) = , (Sy / 2) =
(l/k) 2 (l/k)B2

2K 2 E 1/2
(l/k)B = ( ) K depends on the
Sy end condition

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 DESIGN CURVE – JOHNSON’S EQUATION

Short column, Long column,

Johnson eq. Euler eq.
Sy

P/A
B 2 E
Safe zone (l/k)2

(l / k)B
l / k slenderness ratio

Johnson equation for short columns

(Pcritical / A ) = a – b (l/k)2

P / A = Sy at l / k = 0
Boundary conditions,
P / A = Sy / 2 at l / k = (l / k)B CIVIL4M
 DESIGN CURVE – JOHNSON’S EQUATION

Applying the boundary condition,

(Pcritical / A ) = a – b (l/k)2

a = Sy and b = (Sy / 2) / (l / k)B

2K 2 E 1/2
(l/k)B = ( )
Sy

(Pcritical / A ) = Sy – (Sy / 2)2 (1/KE) (l/k)2

K depends on the
end condition

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 COLUMN DESIGN – ECCENTRIC
LOADING
The Secant Formula

M + Py + Pe = 0

d2y + P y = – Pe
dx2 EI EI

Sy
(Pcr / A ) =
1 + (eK / k2) Sec (l/k) (P / 4AE)1/2

The secant column formula

Where (eK / k2) is called the eccentricity ratio

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COLUMN DESIGN CURVE

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 EXAMPLE – COLUMN DESIGN
Design a column to carry a central load of 3600 lb. The column has to be 15”
long. Due to space limitation the largest dimension cannot exceed 1.0 inch.
The column will be welded at both ends.

Select material → 1035 CD steel → E = 30x106 psi, and Sy = 67,000 psi

Select cross section → tube with outside diameter not to exceed 1.0”

Choose a safety factor → n = 4

Select thickness and calculate the outside diameter to obtain safety factor of 4.

Johnson equation

(Pcr / A ) = 67000 – (67000 / 2)2 (1/30x106) (l/k)2

(Pcr / A ) = 67000 – 3.79 (l/k)2

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 EXAMPLE – COLUMN DESIGN

Euler equation
2 E 2.96x108
(Pcr / A) = =
(l/k) 2 (l/k)2
Calculate the slenderness ratio for point B

2K 2 E 1/2 2 x 1 x 2 x 30x106
(l/k)B = ( ) = ( )1/2 = 94
Sy 67000

2 2
Area A = /4 (do – di )
4 4
Area moment of inertia I = /64 (do – di )
2 2
Radius of gyration k = (I/A) 1/2
= [ (do + di ) / 16]1/2

Inside diameter di = do – 2t
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 EXAMPLE – COLUMN DESIGN
Select thickness t = 3/16
Use Euler eq.

do di A k l/k Pcr n = (Pcr / 3600) = 4

0.5 0.125 0.185 0.1288 116 > 94 4032 1.12 < 4
1.0 0.625 0.479 0.295 50 < 94 27400 7.4 > 4
0.75 0.375 0.337 0.210 71 < 94 16060 4.46 ≈ 4

Use Johnson eq.

Specify, 1035 CD steel tube with outside

diameter of 3/4” and thickness of 3/16”

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 EXAMPLE – COLUMN DESIGN
Consider a solid bar

Johnson equation
(Pcr / A ) = 67000 – 3.79 (l/k)2
16060 15 2
= 67000 – 3.79 ( )
/4 (d) 2 d/4

d = .713, select d = .75

d2 (.713)2
Weight ratio = = = 1.2
2 2 (.75) – (.375)
2 2
do – di
Solid bar is 20% heavier

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