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.

LonKegn Yom
ussee
fi mbers are referred to a
Mes
chanc
icao
l Elnu
ginm
eerinn
gDsep.t. Columns, normally fail in buckli1ng.
 Compression Members

Crushing failure – 1985

Mexico earthquake.

Buckling failure

Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 2

 Compression Members
Actuators

Members in
compression
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. Connecting rods 3
 Compression Members

Trusses

Structures

Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 4

 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)

Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 5

 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
civil4m 6
 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
civil4m 7
 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

civil4m 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

civil4m
slenderness
l / k Mechanical ratio
Engineering Dept. 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
civil4m
slenderness
l / k Mechanical ratio
Engineering Dept. 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

civil4m Mechanical Engineering Dept. 11

 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 Mechanical Engineering Dept. 12
 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

civil4m 13
 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

civil4m . 14
 Column Design Curve

civil4m . 15
 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

civil4m . 16
 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
civil4m . 17
 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”

civil4m 18
 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

civil4n . 19