Free Column Buckling Calculator
Find the critical buckling load of a column using the Euler buckling equation.
Euler Critical Load (Pcr)
1,233.7 kN
Euler Critical Load (Pcr) vs Elastic Modulus (E)
Euler Column Buckling
A slender column under axial compression can buckle laterally before the material yields.
Formula
Pcr = pi^2 E I / (K L)^2
K is the effective length factor that accounts for end conditions: K = 1.0 for pinned-pinned, K = 0.7 for fixed-pinned, K = 0.5 for fixed-fixed, and K = 2.0 for fixed-free (cantilever). The formula assumes perfectly straight, elastic behaviour.
Example Calculation
A 4 m pinned-pinned steel column with I = 1000 cm^4 and E = 200 GPa.
- 01Effective length Le = 1.0 x 4 = 4 m
- 02E = 200 x 10^9 Pa, I = 1000 x 10^-8 m^4 = 1 x 10^-5 m^4
- 03Pcr = pi^2 x 200 x 10^9 x 1 x 10^-5 / 4^2
- 04Pcr = 9.8696 x 2 x 10^6 / 16 = 1,233,700 N = 1233.7 kN
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