Prediction of Critical Global Elastic Buckling Load in Lattice Columns

Lattice columns are widely used in various metal structural systems, for example, within the telecommunications industry to form the mast that supports the transmission devices or as vertical supports for building roofs. A particularity of these lattices is the large number of elements that conform (e.g., diagonals). As a result, their representation and processing through finite element modeling typically entail a substantial computational cost. The height and slenderness that these lattice columns usually present means that in the event of lateral displacements, they can become sensitive to the applied compression loads, potentially leading to the global buckling of the structural system. In previous work, the authors analyzed spatial lattices of triangular and rectangular cross-sections, obtaining continuous representation models from an energetic approach. In the present work the linear problem of the equilibrium stability of lattice columns is studied. From an energy approach, the analytical expressions are obtained to predict the global critical load for the analyzed lattices. These developed expressions were validated numerically and experimentally, showing excellent performance.