BUCKLING OR COLLAPSE ANALYSIS

When predicting possible failure understanding buckling strength is crucial, buckling analysis is able to calculate critical failure loads of slender structures when compressed.

Forces acting perpendicular to the “thin” direction of slender structures are membrane forces, which have the potential to affect the bending stiffness of a structure. Tensile membrane forces increase lateral stiffness whilst compressive membrane forces decrease lateral stiffness.<br.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation analyses for linear elastic buckling, where there is a critical load (Pcrit) after which the structure is incapable of supporting any incremental load. When a design reaches this point any slight disturbance makes the structure unstable.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation is able to calculate the buckling load factor, the scale factor applied to obtain the critical load, similar to the stress factor of safety (FoS).