IN-PLANE ELASTIC BUCKLING OF STEEL CIRCULAR ARCHES WITH HORIZONTAL SPRING SUPPORT

An arch is often connected with other structures that provide elastic restraints to the arch. These elastic restraints significantly influence its behavior. The analytical solutions of horizontally elastically supported arches that are subjected to vertical loads uniformly distributed along the arch chord are obtained. A dimensionless elastic flexibility factor is introduced. By analyzing the linear analytical solutions and using the flexibility factor, a simple analytical formula for the mid-span axial force and displacement of support is proposed, and criterions that distinguish between arches and arched beams are suggested. The effects of the stiffness of the horizontal end restraint on the distribution of internal forces, in-plane buckling mode and buckling load of arches are studied. A limiting flexibility factor that distinguishes between the in-plane anti-symmetric bifurcation mode and symmetric snap-through mode is presented, and the formula for buckling mid-span axial forces is proposed.