Case Study: Buckling Load

Case Study: Buckling Load

Buckling is critical in building a structure because it tells the stress load that the column could hold before it buckles, or bends. People often use Euler's formula to calculate the critical buckling load of the long columns with central loading.

E is the Young's modulus of the column material, or the elasticity of the column material. I is the area moment of inertia of the cross-section, and L is the length of the columns. The equation above is just a general equation. The calculation usually depending on the end conditions of the columns. Some of the common end conditions is in the figure 1.

Figure 1. End Conditions

Figure 2. Effective Lengths of the End Conditions

The table in figure 2 above shows an effective lengths of the column based on the end conditions in which L represents the actual length of the column.  

http://www.amesweb.info/CompressionMemberDesign/CompressionMemberDesign.aspx

The link above is one of the sites that was built to calculate the buckling load of the columns.

Links:

http://www.efunda.com/formulae/solid_mechanics/columns/columns.cfm

http://www.amesweb.info/CompressionMemberDesign/CompressionMemberDesign.aspx