Thermal Postbuckling of Uniform Columns on Elastic Foundation—Intuitive Solution

Finite element and Rayleigh-Ritz methods have been effectively used to evaluate the thermal postbuckling behavior of columns with immovable ends in the axial direction. However, these methods do suffer from problems like large computational effort or complex algebra because of the nonlinear nature of the problem. A simple, intuitive method is proposed herein to predict the postbuckling load carrying capacity of uniform columns on elastic foundation. The present method requires the knowledge of only the linear thermal buckling load parameter and the tension developed in the column. The present method, when applied to simply supported and clamped columns gives exactly the same results as those obtained by the Rayleigh-Ritz method.