INTRODUCTION

There are many types of compression members, the column being the best known.
Other examples:
Top chords of trusses,
Bracing members
Compression flanges of built up beams
Rolled beams

Columns are usually thought of as straight vertical members whose lengths are considerably
greater than their cross-sectional dimensions. Columns and struts are termed long or short
depending on their trendiness to buckling. If the strut is short, the applied forces will cause a
compressive strain, which results in the shortening of the strut in the direction of the applied forces.
Under incremental loading, this shortening continues until the column "squashes".

However, if the strut is long, similar axial shortening is observed only at the initial stages of
incremental loading. Thereafter, as the applied forces are increased in magnitude, the strut becomes
unstable and develops a deformation in a direction normal to the loading axis (See Fig.1). The strut
is in a buckled state.

Buckling behavior is thus characterized by deformations developed in a direction (or plane) normal
to that of the loading that produces it.

When the applied loading is increased, the buckling deformation also increases. Buckling
occurs mainly in members subjected to compressive forces. If the member has high bending stiffness,
its buckling resistance is high. Also, when the member length is increased, the buckling resistance is
decreased. Thus the buckling resistance is high when the member is stocky (i.e. the member has a
high bending stiffness and is short) conversely, the buckling resistance is low when the member is
slender.

Structural steel has high yield strength and ultimate strength compared with other construction
materials. Hence compression members made of steel tend to be slender. Buckling is of particular
interest while employing steel members, which tend to be slender, compared with reinforced concrete
or prestressed concrete compression members. Members fabricated from steel plating or sheeting and
subjected to compressive stresses also experience local buckling of the plate elements.









THEORY
A column can fail under compressive load either by crushing or buckling depending on its
length, cross section and material. When column is considerably long in comparison to its lateral
dimensions it will fail by buckling rather than crushing. By increasing compressive load on a column
may show signs of buckling at some load and further small increment of load will lead to column
failure. The load at which the column just buckles is called as critical load (

) (buckling load).
The critical load on column is, (Euler Equation)

Where, The least second moment of area
youngs modulus

Effective length
Some critical lengths (

) of different configurations are shown in Fig. 1.

Apparatus:
Column Buckling apparatus
Weights(100g, 200g, 500g, 1kg, 2kg)
Hanger
Vernier caliper(smallest reading = 0.02 mm)
Meter ruler
Test samples(5-rectangular cross-sectional rods in different lengths)

Test samples Weights

Fig. 2

PROCEDURE
First, all of the test samples were measured for their lengths(L), widths (b) and
Thicknesses (h) by means of a meter ruler and a vernier caliper respectively.







Then one of the test samples was placed as it is in the both ends pinned
configuration on the column buckling apparatus as shown in the Fig. 2.

Then placed the hanger in the appropriate position (Fig. 2) and apply
gradually increasing weight on the hanger by using the given masses.


When the test sample tends to be buckled the total weight on the hanger
was noted.

The above sequence of steps was applied to all the other test samples as well.


The cross sectional areas of the members (A), The least second moment of area of the
members(I), The Radius of Gyration of the columns(R) was calculated using the
measurements.

As well the theoretical critical load

) was calculated using the Euler equation and also the

practical critical load was calculated.


Then after that the theoretical critical stress (

), practical critical stress and the slenderness

ratio () was calculated.

Finally

(Theoretical) Vs and the

(Practical) Vs were plotted.

CALCULATIONS

Test Sample no.

(Theoretical)

(Practical)

1
(shortest)

5.568


5.200

349.7

2


4.154

4.270

404.8


3


3.202

2.927

461.1

4


2.544

2.238

517.4

5
(longest)

2.112

1.550

567.0

DISCUSSION
It has to be ensured that the angle (Fig. 2) is

(i.e.: The bar which bears the weight is

horizontal) otherwise the relation

will not be satisfied. Because the lengths

and

are measured along the horizontal bar and can assumed to be the lengths in Fig.2
whenever the bar is horizontal.

Secondly the member which was subjecting to the loads has to be vertical in its configuration.
Otherwise the load will not appear perpendicular to the cross-section of the member and the
stress is not distributing uniformly along the member as expected.
Pre-buckled states of the test samples have to be minimized.

The weights have to be kept slowly on the hanger if it is not the sudden shocks may cause
effects that are not expected.

The weight of the weight hanger has to be included to the calculations.

The exact critical load cannot be achieved on this practical. Because the added total weight was
not applying continuously, it was a discrete application. Therefore the obtained load was most
probably above the critical load.


Relevance of buckling instability of columns in engineering structures

o During earthquakes, reinforced concrete members may experience lateral deformation
(Buckling) of the longitudinal reinforcing bars. Therefore this phenomenon must be
accounted when designing buildings in such areas.

o Lack of adequate bracing during construction and renovation has resulted in the
collapse of many structures pioneered by buckling.


o The eccentricity withdrawals due to improper maintenance or design also proceed to a
Buckling failure of the structural columns.

Human errors will lead to erroneous measurements therefore the theoretical results may differ
from the practical results.

From the theoretical Equation

produces a rectangular parabola in

graph therefore the theoretical graph of

has also to be nearly that kind of shape. It can

be clearly seen on the theoretical graph but in the practical graph due to above mentioned errors
it cannot be seen significantly.




REFERENCES
www.steel-insdag.org/TeachingMaterial/Chapter6.pdf
www.structural-info.com/critical_buckling.pdf