Hi,
I used the verification example for the buckling factors for determining the critical buckling loads for a simple column (pinned pinned).
However I get different results every time I run them. How do I ensure that the values I get are the same. (for ex, when I change the length say from 10 ft to 40 ft, the values are off for the 40 ft one). Similarly when I change to STAAD SPACE to find the minor axis buckling, it is off for slender column lengths.
For ex. the attached code is for a pinned-pinned W10x45 section with Ix = 248 in4 and Iy = 53.4 in4. A applied load of 160 kip in the Y dirn, length of 30 ft. The buckling factor should be 3.42 and 0.73 (for major and minor). Whereas I get 4.16 and 0.89.
Am I missing something, I checked the verification example and the code is the same.
Attached is the code.
UNIT FEET KIPJOINT COORDINATES1 0 0 0; 2 0 30 0;MEMBER INCIDENCES21 1 2;DEFINE MATERIAL STARTISOTROPIC STEELE 4.176e+06POISSON 0.3DENSITY 0.489024ALPHA 6.5e-06DAMP 0.03TYPE STEELSTRENGTH RY 1.5 RT 1.2ISOTROPIC STEEL_36_KSIE 4.176e+06POISSON 0.3DENSITY 0.489024ALPHA 6.5e-06DAMP 0.03TYPE STEELSTRENGTH FY 5184 FU 8352 RY 1.5 RT 1.2G 1.60615e+06ISOTROPIC STEEL_50_KSIE 4.176e+06POISSON 0.3DENSITY 0.489024ALPHA 6.5e-06DAMP 0.03TYPE STEELSTRENGTH FY 7200 FU 8928 RY 1.5 RT 1.2END DEFINE MATERIALMEMBER PROPERTY AMERICAN21 TABLE ST W10X45CONSTANTSMATERIAL STEEL_50_KSI ALLSUPPORTS1 PINNED2 FIXED BUT FY MX MY MZLOAD 1 LOADTYPE None TITLE LOAD CASE 1JOINT LOAD2 FY -160PERFORM BUCKLING ANALYSIS MAXSTEP 30