Analytical solutions for buckling of multi-step non-uniform columns with arbitrary distribution of flexural stiffness or axial distributed loading (Q5926011)

The author presents an analytical approach for determining the critical buckling loading of multi-step non-uniform columns. The governing equation for buckling of a one-step non-uniform column is reduced to a differential equation of second order, and then to Bessel equations and other solvable equations. At last, by using the transfer matrix method, the obtained analytical solutions are used to derive an eigenvalue equation for buckling of a multi-step non-uniform column under several boundary conditions. The author gives an illustrative numerical example of the proposed procedure.