Euler's Theory of Columns Page 1 of 10

G ATE M E > Strength of M aterials (M echanics of M aterials)

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M allesham Devasane
SH ARED IN FO Dec 28

Euler's Theory of Colum ns

Colum ns and Struts:

A structuralm em ber subjected to an axialcom pressive fore is

called strut.As per definition strut m ay be horizontal,inclined or
even vertical.
Verticalstrut is called a colum n.

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Euler's Theory of Columns Page 2 of 10

Eulers Colum n Theory:This theory has the follow ing assum ptions.

Perfectly straight colum n and axialload apply.

Uniform cross-section of the colum n throughout its length.
Perfectly elastic,hom ogeneous and isotropic m aterial.
Length of colum n is large as com pared to its cross-sectional
dim ensions.
The shortening of colum n due to directcom pression is neglected.
The failure of colum n occurs due to buckling alone.

Lim itation of Eulers Form ula

There is alw ays crookedness in the colum n and the load m ay not be
exactly axial.
This form ula does not take into account the axialstress and the
buckling load given by this form ula m ay be m uch m ore than the
actualbuckling load.

Eulers Buckling (or crippling load):The m axim um load atw hich the
colum n tends to have lateraldisplacem ent or tends to buckle is know n
as buckling or crippling load.Load colum ns can be analysed w ith the
Eulers colum n form ulas can be given as

w here,E = M odulus of elasticity,l= Effective Length of colum n,and I=

M om ent of inertia of colum n section.

1. For both end hinged:

n=1

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Euler's Theory of Columns Page 3 of 10

2. For one end fixed and other free:

3. For both end fixed:

n=2,

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Euler's Theory of Columns Page 4 of 10

4. For one end fixed and other hinged:

Effective Length for different End conditions:

M odes of failure of Colum ns

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Euler's Theory of Columns Page 5 of 10

Slenderness Ratio () Slenderness ratio of a com pression m em ber is

defined as the ratio of its effective length to leastradius of gyration.

Buckling Stress:

Rankines Form ula for Colum ns:It is an em piricalform ula,takes into both
crushing P CS and Euler criticalload (P R).

P R =Crippling load by Rankines form ula

P cs = cs A = Ultim ate crushing load for colum n

Crippling load obtained by Eulers form ula

W here,A = Cross-section are of colum n,K = Least radius of gyration,and

A = Rankines constant.
Shape of kern in eccentric loading:

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Euler's Theory of Columns Page 6 of 10

To prevent any kid of stress reversal,force applied should be w ithin

an area near the cross section called as CO RE or KERN .
Shape of kern for rectangular and l-section is Rhom bus and for
square section shape is square for circular section shape is circular.

Tags : G ATE M E Strength of M aterials (M echanics of M aterials)

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