Buckling Analysis of Thick Isotropic Shear Deformable Beams

This paper presents buckling analysis of thick isotropic shear deformable beams using single variable new first-order shear deformation theory (SVNFSDT) for beams. As in the case of Timoshenko beam theory, SVNFSDT is a displacement-based first-order shear deformation beam theory and assumes constant transverse shear strain through the thickness of the beam. SVNFSDT has only one unknown function and has striking resemblance to that of Bernoulli–Euler beam theory as far as expressions for governing differential equation, moment, and shear force are concerned. Hence, efforts involved in obtaining buckling solutions using SVNFSDT are only marginally higher as compared to those involved in the case of Bernoulli–Euler beam theory. Numerical results are presented for rectangular isotropic beams with several values of beam thickness-to-length ratio and with physically meaningful boundary conditions. To demonstrate the efficacy of numerical results of buckling analysis obtained using SVNFSDT, these results are compared with corresponding results available in the literature.