Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept.

1
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.
Long members are referred to as columns. Columns, normally fail in buckling.
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 2
Compression Members
Buckling failure
Crushing failure 1985
Mexico earthquake.
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 3
Compression Members
Members in
compression
Actuators
Connecting rods
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 4
Compression Members
Structures
Trusses
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 5
Column Design Euler Column
Euler formula
Euler column both ends
are pinned or rounded
M = - Py
M
EI
d
2
y
dx
2
=
From deflection of beam, relating curvature to the
moment, we have:
P
EI
d
2
y
dx
2
= 0 y +
Rearranging the terms:
Second order, linear, and homogeneous
differential equation
y = A sin ( x) + B cos( x)
P
EI
P
EI
Solution:
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 6
Column Design Euler Column
Boundary conditions
No deflections at
the ends
y = 0 at x = 0
y = 0 at x = l
y = A sin ( x) + B cos( x)
P
EI
P
EI
Applying the first boundary condition:
0 = (0) + B (1) B = 0
Applying the second boundary condition:
0 = A sin ( l)
P
EI
For a nontrivial solution, A cannot be zero.
Therefore:
0 = sin ( l)
P
EI
l = n ,
P
EI
Where n is an integer, n =1, 2, 3, .
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 7
Column Design Euler Column
The smallest load occurs when n = 1, therefore,
l =
P
EI
Euler formula
P
critical
=

2
E I
l
2
Buckling is avoided if the applied load is less than the critical load
P
applied
< P
critical
Note: the strength of a material has no influence on the critical
load, only the modulus of elasticity effects the critical load
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 8
Euler Column End Conditions and Effective Length
Pinned-Pinned, or
rounded-rounded
Fixed-sliding
Eulers
end
condition
American Institute
of Steel
Construction
Fixed-Free Fixed-pinned Fixed-Fixed
P
cr
=

2
E I
(l
eff
)
2
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 9
Euler Column Slenderness Ratio, S
r
I = A k
2
, where k = radius of gyration

Euler formula
P
critical
=

2
E I
l
2
(P
critical
/ A ) =

2
E
(l/k)
2
Where S
r
= (l/k)
2
is called
the slenderness ratio.

S
y
Design graph
P / A
l/k slenderness ratio
Safe
zone
Failure by
buckling
Eulers equation

2
E
(l/k)
2
Failure by
yielding
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 10
Euler Column Design Curve
S
y
P / A
l / k slenderness ratio

2
E
(l/k)
2
Safe
zone
Failure occurs in the
safe zone
S
y
P / A
l / k slenderness ratio

2
E
(l/k)
2
S
y
/ 2

(l / k)
B
B
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 11
Design Curve Johnsons Equation
S
y
P / A
l / k slenderness ratio

2
E
(l/k)
2
(l / k)
B
B
S
y
/ 2

Point B is also on the Eulers equation
(P
cr
/ A ) =

2
E
(l/k)
2
(S
y
/ 2) =

2
E
(l/k)
B
2
,
)
1/2

(l/k)
B
= (
2K
2
E
S
y
K depends on the
end condition
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 12
Design Curve Johnsons Equation
S
y
P / A
l / k slenderness ratio

2
E
(l/k)
2
(l / k)
B
B
Short column,
Johnson eq.
Long column,
Euler eq.
Safe zone
Boundary conditions,
P / A = S
y
at l / k = 0
P / A = S
y
/ 2 at l / k = (l / k)
B

J ohnson equation for short columns
(P
critical
/ A ) = a b (l/k)
2
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 13
Design Curve Johnsons Equation
Applying the boundary condition,
a = S
y
and b = (S
y
/ 2) / (l / k)
B

(P
critical
/ A ) = a b (l/k)
2
)
1/2

(l/k)
B
= (
2K
2
E
S
y
(P
critical
/ A ) = S
y
(S
y
/ 2)
2
(1/KE) (l/k)
2
K depends on the
end condition
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 14
Column Design Eccentric Loading
The Secant Formula
M + Py + Pe = 0
P
EI
d
2
y
dx
2
= y +
Pe
EI

(P
cr
/ A ) =
S
y
1 +
(eK / k
2
)

Sec
(l/k) (P / 4AE)
1/2
The secant column formula
Where (eK / k
2
) is called the eccentricity ratio

Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 15
Column Design Curve
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 16
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 = 30x10
6
psi, and S
y
= 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.
(P
cr
/ A ) = 67000 (67000 / 2)
2
(1/30x10
6
) (l/k)
2
Johnson equation
(P
cr
/ A ) = 67000 3.79 (l/k)
2
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 17
Example Column Design
Euler equation
(P
cr
/ A) =

2
E
(l/k)
2
=
2.96x10
8
(l/k)
2
)
1/2

(l/k)
B
= (
2K
2
E
S
y
Calculate the slenderness ratio for point B
)
1/2

(
2 x 1 x
2
x 30x10
6
67000

= 94 =
A = /4 (d
o
d
i
)
2 2
Area
I = /64 (d
o
d
i
)
4 4
Area moment of inertia
2
k = (I/A)
1/2
= [ (d
o
+ d
i
) / 16]
1/2
2
Radius of gyration
d
i
=

d
o
2t Inside diameter
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 18
Example Column Design
d
o
d
i
A k l/k
P
cr
n = (P
cr
/ 3600) = 4
Select thickness t = 3/16
0.5 0.125 0.185 0.1288 116 > 94
Use Euler eq.
4032 1.12 < 4
1.0
0.625 0.479 0.295 50 < 94 27400 7.4 > 4
Use Johnson eq.
0.75
0.375 0.337 0.210 71 < 94 16060 4.46 4
Specify, 1035 CD steel tube with outside
diameter of 3/4 and thickness of 3/16
Ken Youssefi Mechanical Engineering Dept. 19
Example Column Design
Johnson equation
16060
/4 (d)
2
= 67000 3.79 ( )
2
(P
cr
/ A ) = 67000 3.79 (l/k)
2
d/4
15
Consider a solid bar
d = .713, select d = .75
Weight ratio =
d
o
d
i

2
2
d
2
=
(.713)
2
(.75)
2
(.375)
2
= 1.2
Solid bar is 20% heavier