Buckling of Cracked Euler–Bernoulli Columns Embedded in a Winkler Elastic Medium

Abstract

This work analyses the buckling behaviour of cracked Euler–Bernoulli columns immersed in a Winkler elastic medium, obtaining their buckling loads. For this purpose, the beam is modelled as two segments connected in the cracked section by a mass-less rotational spring. Its rotation is proportional to the bending moment transmitted through the cracked section, considering the discontinuity of the rotation due to bending. The differential equations for the buckling behaviour are solved by applying the corresponding boundary conditions, as well as the compatibility and jump conditions of the cracked section. The proposed methodology allows calculating the buckling load as a function of the type of support, the parameter defining the elastic soil, the crack position and the initial length of the crack. The results obtained are compared with those published by other authors in works that deal with the problem in a partial way, showing the interaction and importance of the parameters considered in the buckling loads of the system.