Stepped Column Critical Buckling Load Estimation

Abstract

The construction field mainly deals with columns that have two cross-sectional areas, especially in high-height work forms called stepped columns. Standard sections, with varying loads and exact spans, are usually used at different heights to construct the work form. As a result, many accidents happen on construction sites. This study estimated the capacity of the framework's columns as a critical buckling load using various mathematical and numerical methods, including Euler's equation method, the stiffness matrix method, the finite difference method, and the Air Force stress manual method. Additionally, the Column's loading area method was used to estimate the applied load on the framework. To evaluate the spacing between formwork columns, the applied load (calculated using the Area method) was compared with the column's capacity as estimated through mathematical methods. When comparing the results from the various methods in the virtual case, the results were closely aligned. However, it is worth noting that the value estimated by the finite difference method was 5% lower than the average, while the highest value estimated by the approximation solution of Euler's equation was 5.6% higher than the average.