CE 393: Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratóry

Experiment #6: Buckling of Struts

Description
exceeded,
Unlike a tension member which will generallvonly fail iftheultimate tensile stress is
due to the direct stress, and
acompressive member can fail in two wavs. The first is via rupture
the second by Buckling. Generally, short wide compressive members that tend to fail by the
material crushing are called short columns. Long thin compressive members that tend to fail
by buckling are called slender columns, When buckling occurs, the member will no longer
carry any more load. It will simply continue todisplace. i.e. its stiffness then becomes close to
zero, and it is useless as a structural member. The objective of this exercise is to investigate the
elastic instability of a strut (slender members) with different support conditions under axial
compressive load. This experiment will help you understand the relationship between strut
length, end conditions and buckling load.

Figure 1shows the buckling of the struts

experiment. It consists of a back plate Runners for
sliding assembly
with a load cellat one end and a device to
load the struts at the top. There are five
aluminium alloy struts included in a
holder on the back plate. Printed on the
equipment are a number of equations and
pieces of information that you will find Crosshead

useful while using the equipment. Top fixed chuck

(removeable)

Test struts

Securing
latch

Boltom pinned
Chuck

buckling of struts
Figure 1: Experimental set-up of for

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 CE 393:
Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory
PROCEDURE strutandmeasure the crosS
1. Select the crosshead tosection using the vernier
shortest sliding
2. Adjust the positionofthe thereis the accept the strut using the provided.
lock off the slider. Ensure
that
strut, maximum amount of travel thumbnutson theto
compress the
hand-wheel thread to hand wheel so that Finally, tighten the locking available
3. Carefully back
any off
the the strut is
resting screws.
panelin control.
the
transmitting looad: re-zerotheforce meter using the front notch but not
Turnthe hand
4. Carefully start toload the strut. wheel until there is no
in load (the load may peak and then drop as iit settles into the further increase
5. Record the final load in Table 1 under "buckling notches).
load'. Repeat the test twice
three readings of tthe buckling load. Repeat with strut and take
numbers
the crosshead as requiredto fit the strut. Take more care with the
2, 3, 4 and 5adjusting
difference between the buckling load and the load needed to obtainshorter struts, as the
isquite small. plastíc deformation
6. Change the bottom end condition to fixed and
repeat steps 3-5. Record the readines for
the pinned-fixed condition in Table 2.
Note: Do not contÉnue to load the struts after the
the struts will become permanently deformed! buckling load has been reached: otherwise.
Examine the Euler buckling equation and select an
relationship between the buckling load and the length appropriate parameter to establish a linear
are all constants). Calculate the of the strut (Hint: remember x, E and I
the relationship is linear.
values and enter them into Tables 1-2. Plot a graph to
prove

Discussion Items
1. Compare your
theoretical line ontoexperimental
the graph.
value to those calculated from the Euler formula by entering a
Does the Euler formula predict the buckling load? Quantify the
errorsin observed
values as
in this experimental study. compared to
2. Plot separate
theoretical results. State the source of errors involved
graphs of
the gradient of each line. buckling load versus 1/12 for each support condition and calculate
condition as 1). Establish ratios between each end condition (taking the pinned-pinned
3. Examine the Euler
experimental and
potential impact onthyour
buckl ing
ical ratiosfoarermulsimilar.
eoretresults ae Discuss possible sources of errors and their
for each end condition and confim that the

4. Is it possible to
obtain consistent
results for rthe bucklingload by repeating the tests?

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 Sructural Engineering and Materials Laboratory
CE333
b= 13. 2Smm
d225Tablem1. Results for
pinned-pinned
conditions
BucklingLoad(N)
Srut Length Trial2
Trial 3
Nember Trial 1
320
-70 -70
420 -70
520 -39 39 -39

b=199 d=Zble 2. Results forfxed-pinncd conditions

Strut Buckling Load (N)
Member
Length Trial I Trial 2 Trial 3

300 - 133 -132 -132

400 -l04 -|04 -104
3
500 -70 -70 - 70

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