Euler's Buckling Formula

Empirical Formula
DEFINITION
A column is a bar subjected to a longitudinal compressive
load
Buckling or lateral deflection is a common failure mode
to react the bending moment generated by a compressive
load.
Short column carries direct compressive stress
Long column subjected primarily to flexural stress



Maximum axial load a column can support when on the
verge of buckling is called the critical load, P
cr
.
The easiest concept to grasp is that the design load P
des

must be less than the critical buckling load P
cr
.
Euler's Buckling Formula
Ideal Column with Pin Supports
A column will buckle about the principal
axis of the cross section having the least
moment of inertia (the weakest axis).
P
cr
is given by a formula;
( )
2
2
2
2
/ r L
E

L
EI
P
cr
cr
t
t
=
=
P
cr
= maximum axial load

cr
= critical stress,
E = modulus of elasticity for the material
I = least moment of inertia for the columns
cross-sectional area
L = unsupported length of the column
r = smallest radius of gyration of the column
( )
L/r = slenderness ratio
A
I
r =
|
.
|

\
|
=
A
P
CR
CR
o
Example 5.1
The A-36 steel W200 X 46 member is to be
used as a pin-connected column.
Determine the largest axial load it can
support before it either begins to buckle or
the steel yields.
Solution:
From Appendix B,
2
N/mm 5 . 320
5890
1000 6 . 1887
=

= =
A
P
cr
cr
o
4 6 4 6 2
mm 10 3 . 15 , mm 10 5 . 45 , mm 5890 = = =
y x
I I A
( )( )( )
kN .
/ .
L
EI
P
cr
6 1887
4
1000 1 10 3 15 10 200
2
4
6 9 2
2
2
=

= =
t t
By inspection, buckling will occur about the yy axis because of
least moment of inertia.
When fully loaded, the average compressive stress in
the column is
Since this stress exceeds the yield stress,
(Ans) kN 5 . 1472
5890
250 = = P
P
Columns Having Various Types of Supports
Euler is used to determine the critical load
provided L represents the distance between the
zero-moment points.
It is called the columns effective length, L
e
.
A dimensionless coefficient K, effective-length
factor, is used to calculate L
e
.

Thus we have,
KL L
e
=
( ) ( )
2
2
2
2
/

r KL
E
KL
EI
P
cr cr
t
o
t
= =
KL/r = effective-slenderness ratio
Example 5.2
The aluminium column is fixed at
its bottom and is braced at its top
by cables so as to prevent
movement at the top along the x
axis. If it is assumed to be fixed at
its base, determine the largest
allowable load P that can be
applied. Use a factor of safety for
buckling of FS = 3.0. Take E
al
=
70GPa,
Y
= 215MPa, A = 7.5(10
-
3
)m
2
,
I
x
= 61.3(10
-6
)m
4
, I
y
= 23.2(10
-6
)m
4
.
Solution:
( )
( )
( )
( )
MN 31 . 1 , kN 424
2
2
2
2
= = = =
y
y cr
x
x cr
KL
EI
P
KL
EI
P
t t
( )
MPa 215 MPa .
. A
P
kN
. FS
P
P
cr
cr
cr
allow
< =
= =
= = =

5 56
10 5 7
424
141
0 3
424
3
o
( ) ( ) m 10 5 2 = =
x
KL For xx axis buckling, K = 2,
For yy axis buckling, K = 0.7,
( ) ( ) m . . KL
y
5 3 5 7 0 = =
The critical loads for each case are
The allowable load and critical stress are
Example 5.3
Knowing that a factor of safety of 2.6 is required,
determine the largest load P which may be
applied to the structure shown. Use E = 200
GPa and consider only buckling in the plane of
the structure.
15 mm
diameter
P
20 mm diameter
0.5 m
A
B
C
0.5 m 1.0 m
Solution:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
5 1
0 1 5 1 0
5 1
5 0
5 1 0
.
P
A P . A ; M
.
P .
C 0 0.5 P - . C ; M
y y C
y y A
= = =
= = =

15 mm
diameter
P
20 mm diameter
0.5 m
A
B
C
0.5 m 1.0 m
A
y
C
y
( )
( )
( ) C P
P
F F
P
F
P
T P P
P
F
P
F
C P
P
F F
P
F
P
AB AB
AB
AC
AC
BC BC
BC
943 . 0
75 . 0
5 . 0
5 . 0
5 . 0
5 . 1
0 sin
5 . 1
; 0 F
667 . 0
5 . 1
1
25 . 1
0 . 1
5 . 1
25 . 1
0 cos
5 . 1
25 . 1
; 0 F
745 . 0
5 . 1
25 . 1
0
25 . 1
5 . 0
5 . 1
5 . 0
0 sin
5 . 1
5 . 0
; 0 F
y
x
y
= = |
.
|

\
|

= =
= = |
.
|

\
|
=
= + =
= = =
= =

o
u
u
5 1
5 0
.
P .
F
AC
F
BC
25 1. 5 0.
u
o
5 1.
P
F
AB
5 1.
P
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
kN .
. . .
. .
P
L .
EI
.
P
.
P .
F
kN .
. . .
. .
P
L .
EI
.
P .
L .
EI
.
P
.
P .
F
Cr
AB
Cr
BC
0 4
4 5 0 6 2 5 0
0075 0 10 200 75 0
6 2 6 2 75 0
5 0
4 6
4 25 1 6 2 25 1
01 0 10 200 5 1
6 2 5 1
25 1
6 2 6 2 5 1
25 1
4
9 2
2
2
4
9 2
2
2
2
2
=

=
= = =
=

=
=
= = =
t t
t
t t
t
t
Hence, the largest load P = 4.0 kN