Buckling of Standing Tapered Timoshenko Columns with Varying Flexural Rigidity Under Combined Loadings

The stability of a nonuniform column subjected to a tip force and axially distributed loading is investigated based on the Timoshenko beam theory. An emphasis is placed on buckling of a standing column with varying cross-section and variable material properties under self-weight and tip force. Four kinds of columns with different taper ratios are analyzed. A new initial value method is suggested to determine critical tip force and axial loading at buckling. The effectiveness of the method is confirmed by comparing our results with those for Euler–Bernoulli columns for the case of sufficiently large shear rigidity. The effects of shear rigidity, taper ratio, and gravity loading on the buckling loads of a heavy standing or hanging column are examined.