ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to understand that a column is expected to buckle about the axis for which the radius of gyration is the minimum. It analyzes columns that are initially crooked to determine their critical buckling load. The chapter also analyzes columns for which the applied load acts eccentric to the axis of the column. It utilizes the Euler formula for computing the critical buckling load for long columns and the J. B. Johnson formula for short columns. The chapter summarizes the basis for the Euler and Johnson formulas for column analysis and elaborates on the behavior of columns of varying materials and slenderness ratios. It describes the behavior of the wood meterstick. The measure of the slenderness of a column must take into account the length, the cross-sectional shape and dimensions of the column, and the manner of attaching the ends of the column to the structures that supply loads and reactions to the column.
