Subject:

BUCKLING TEST (lab report)

Course: Mechanics of Materials(ECV3143)

Department:
Bachelor (Hons) of Civil Engineering

Lecturer:
Ir Pan

Student name and ID:

Ahmad Muhammad Ali-SCM-030817

Group: 2
Submission date: 26/10/2015

Contents
Abstract .............3
Objective ...........3
Introduction................3
Apparatus...4
Procedure5
Theory6
Results7
Table 1....7
Graph 1...7
Table 2....8
Graph 2...8
Discussion......................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.9
Reference.......................................................................................................................................9

ABSTRACT
Buckling occurs when column has a tendency to deflect laterally, out of the line of action of the
force. Once buckling initiates, the instability can lead to failure of the column, because the
eccentric force acts as a moment causing greater stresses and deflections due to the combination
of the bending and axial forces.

OBJECTIVE
1. To determine critical buckling loads for columns with supports.
2. To test the Eulers theory of buckling.
3. To investigate the influence of different of different material parameter.

Introduction
The physicist and mathematician Leonhard Euler first derived a series of equations to determine
the deformation of columns under loads. The following procedure attempts to verify one of these
buckling equations for steel columns.Euler determined the following expression for determining
the critical load.

APPARATUS
Specimen holders.
Deformation measurement.
Lateral load device with weight.

PROCEDURE
1. The device was set up in vertical position.
2. The thrust piece with V notch into attachment socket and fasten with clamping screw was
inserted.
3. Long thrust piece with V notch into the guide bush of load cross-bar was inserted and
was been hold firmly.
4. The S2 rod specimen with edges in the v notch was inserted.
5. The load cross-bar was clamped on the guide column in such a manner that there was still
approximately 5mm for the top thrust piece to move.
6. The rod specimen was aligned in such a manner that its buckling direction points in the
direction of the lateral guide columns.
7. The rod specimen with low, non-measurable force was retightening.
8. The measuring gauge was aligned to the middle of the rod specimen using the supporting
clamps. The measuring gauge was set at a right angle to the direction of buckling.
9. The measuring gauge was pretighten to 10mm deflection with the adjustable support.
10. The rod specimen load was slowly subjected using the load nut.
11. The deflection was recorded from the measuring gauge. The deflection was read and
recorded at every 0.25mm up to 1mm.

Theory
A long-column straight beam with a rectangular cross section is subjected to a
compressive axial load. As long as the beam remains straight, it can be analysed by
5

the theories of tension or compression loads; however, if the deflection become

suddenly large and leads to catastrophic failure, the buckling theory has to be
applied for the analysis. According to the theory, the critical (or Euler) buckling load
Pcr, critical stress cr, and slenderness ratio L/r can be calculated by the following
formulas:

where: E is the modulus of elasticity.

I is the moment of initial of the beam, I = b h3 / 12. b is the width of the beam and
h is the thickness of the beam.
L is the length of the beam.
A is the cross section area of the beam, A = bh.
r is the radius of gyration about the axis of bending.

21.0 10 106.6
For the first specimen(S3)P =
6002

=613.72N

2 21.0 10 4 106.6
2
For the second specimen (S6) P =
650

Results
6

=522.94N

Table 1: specimen (S6)

Force (N)

Deflection

400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800

(mm)
0.15
0.19
0.27
0.38
0.50
0.65
0.87
1.24
1.65

Graph1: specimen (S6)

specimen (S6)
900
800
700
600
500
Force (N)

400
300
200
100
0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Deflection (MM)

Table 2: specimen (S3)

Force (N)

Defection
(mm)
7

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

100

200

0.06

300

0.19

400

0.42

450

0.62

Graph 2: specimen (S3)

specimen (S6)

Force (N)

500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

Deflection (MM)

Then, the stress on the beam can be calculated using critical load as

P
A

0.7

*Cross sectional area = 20 4 = 80mm

613.72
80

522.94
80

= 6.54 MPa for specimen (S6)

= 7.67MPa for specimen (S3)

Where E = Modulus of elasticity.

I = Moment of inertia.
A = Cross sectional area of steel column
L = Effective length.
R = Radius of gyration

Conclusions
The error within this experiment was grossly inaccurate and exhibited unacceptable error. The
main source of error was due to poor testing technique. Evenwith proper technique, however,
persistent and large error was still present. There main error was due to ill conditioned test
samples and poorly calibrated equipment. The samples had experienced buckling many times
previous to this test, and the clampswere not aligned to place the force parallel along the beam