How do columns buckle within their elastic region?

Whenever a material fails it has to pass the elastic limit, then they enter plastic region and continue to deform plastically for a while(ductile materials) and then finally fail.





It beats me how columns can deform within their elastic region.

How do columns buckle within their elastic region?
Column do buckle when u apply load on them. What ever may be the load, there will be corresponding buckling in the column. (The amount of deformation is so small that we can not see with just look at the column). All materials are "elastic' to some extent. The limit varies. Practically there is no material that is 100 % brittle or inelastic.(with E=0) . If you imagine that material it CAN NOT CARRY ANY LOAD applied on it. Depending upon the properties of the material, the elatic limit varies and so also the load carrying capacity varies. When load increases certain limit , the buckling or deformations cross the limit of elasticity %26amp; then it cannot regain its orginal position if we remove load. That limit is elastic limit %26amp; beyond it is plastic region.





Thus deformation {(Buckling in cloumns as well as shortenin g due to compression ( elongation due to tension), deflection in beams } are the "effect" of application of load which could be considered as "Cause". As you know , when there is CAUSE there is EFFECT. Thus philosophically, it is because of the deformation, structure takes the load!.
Reply:Columns do not buckle in the elastic range.
Reply:Picture a branch from a tree. If you but pressure on it at one end with the other end on the floor it will bend. Picture using this stick and three more like it as the four legs of a table. If you put a little weight on the table nothing happen. Put some more weight and the legs bulge out like a bow, but does not collapse. Take the weight off and it goes back. This is elastic deformation. Bridges and buildings undergo similar deformation but to a less noticeable degree. Take the wings on a jet liner. They are designed to flex in the elastic range and in extreme conditions you can see it.





As stress increases you leave the elastic and go to plastic, which depending on the geometry may cause a structure to collapse or otherwise fail.



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