0% found this document useful (0 votes)
156 views2 pages

Eulers Formula

Euler's Formula provides a method to calculate the critical buckling load of a simply-supported column based on its length, modulus of elasticity, and moment of inertia. The formula shows that the critical load decreases with the square of the column length. The document extends Euler's Formula to columns with other boundary conditions by introducing the effective length, which accounts for the boundary conditions and affects the critical buckling load. Tables list the theoretical and engineering effective lengths for common boundary condition combinations.

Uploaded by

paolo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
156 views2 pages

Eulers Formula

Euler's Formula provides a method to calculate the critical buckling load of a simply-supported column based on its length, modulus of elasticity, and moment of inertia. The formula shows that the critical load decreases with the square of the column length. The document extends Euler's Formula to columns with other boundary conditions by introducing the effective length, which accounts for the boundary conditions and affects the critical buckling load. Tables list the theoretical and engineering effective lengths for common boundary condition combinations.

Uploaded by

paolo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Euler's Formula

Euler's Formula

Consider a long simply-supported column under an external axial load F,


as shown in the figure to the left. The critical buckling load (elastic
stability limit) is given by Euler's formula,

where E is the Young's modulus of the column material, I is the area


moment of inertia of the cross-section, and L is the length of the column.

Note that the critical buckling load decreases with the square of the column
length.

Extended Euler's Formula

In general, columns do not always terminate with simply-supported ends. Therefore, the formula for
the critical buckling load must be generalized.

The generalized equation takes the form of Euler's formula,

where the effective length of the column Leff depends on the boundary conditions. Some common
boundary conditions are shown in the schematics below:

The following table lists the effective lengths for columns terminating with a variety of boundary
condition combinations. Also listed is a mathematical representation of the buckled mode shape.
Euler's Formula

Theoretical Engineering
Boundary Effective Effective
Buckling Mode Shape
Conditions Length Length
LeffT LeffE

Free-Free L (1.2·L)

Hinged-Free L (1.2·L)

Hinged-Hinged
L L
(Simply-Supported)

Guided-Free 2·L (2.1·L)

Guided-Hinged 2·L 2·L

Guided-Guided L 1.2·L

Clamped-Free
2·L 2.1·L
(Cantilever)

Clamped-Hinged 0.7·L 0.8·L

Clamped-Guided L 1.2·L

Clamped-Clamped 0.5·L 0.65·L

In the table, L represents the actual length of the column. The effective length is often used in column
design by design engineers.

You might also like