Column Design (Part 6)

The document discusses calculating the critical buckling load of a steel column with a rectangular cross-section that is pinned at the top and welded at the bottom. It provides the dimensions and material properties of the column, shows the calculations to determine the effective length, slenderness ratio, column constant, and critical buckling load using the Johnson formula. An Excel file is offered to download to simplify performing these column design calculations.

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Column Design (Part 6)

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06/11/2017 Column Design (Part 6)

Mechanical Design Handbook

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06/11/2017 Column Design (Part 6)

Column Design (Part 6)

From Column Design Part 1 to 5, we talked about the formulas to calculate the critical
buckling load. This time we're going to use the excel spreadsheet program to help
calculate. Let's use the following design problem as an example.

The machine designer would like to calculate the allowable load for his steel column
having rectangular cross section. The column has section 80 mm x 30 mm, and 380 mm
long. It's proposed to use AISI 1040 hot-rolled steel. The upper end is pinned and the lower
end of the column is inserted into a close- tting socket and is welded securely as can in
the picture.

To calculate the critical load for the column we need to do as following.

Solid rectangular section, 80 mm x 30 mm.

The area moment of inertia,I = 1/12 x 80 x 303 = 180000 mm4 -- The least I (for this case,
around X-X axis) is used.
The cross sectional area,A = 80 x 30 = 2400 mm2
Then the radius of gyration, r = (180000/2400)1/2 = 8.66 mm
Since the column is pinned at the upper end and welded at the lower end, then the end
xity is xed-pinned.
The practical value of constant K = 0.8 is used for this kind of end xity.
The effective of the column, Le = KL = 0.8 x 380 = 304 mm
The slenderness ratio = Le/rmin = 304/8.66 = 35.1

The material AISI 1040 hot-rolled steel has yield strength (Sy) and modulus of elasticity (E)
as follows.
Sy = 290 MPa
E = 207 GPa

Then we can calculate the column constant, Cc = (2p2 x 207x109 / 290x106)1/2 = 118.7

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06/11/2017 Column Design (Part 6)

Because the slenderness ratio (35.1) is less than the column constant (118.7), the column
is short. The J.B. Johnson formula should be used.

The critical buckling load becomes,\

Pcr = (2400x10-6) x 290x106[1-(290x106x35.12)/(4p2x 207x109)] = 665571 N

With the safety factor N = 3, the allowable load for this column is
Pallow = Pcr/N = 665571/3 = 221.8 kN

As usual, mechanical design handbook provides free excel program that can help you solve
your column design quickly. Please download the le for FREE at the link below.

Please make sure that macro is enabled so that you can run the program. Once the
program is launched, (1) select the end xity (2) enter values of cross section, column
material and safety factor (3) Click calculate to see the result.

Download FREE Excel File of Column Design.

password: mechanical-design-handbook.blogspot.com

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