Lateral instability of monosymmetric beams with initial curvature

Abstract

A theoretical study of the flexural-torsional, or lateral, instability of monosymmetric beams is presented. The analysis is based on beam theory and energy considerations and incorporates the influence of pre-buckling displacements and initial curvature in the plane of major axis bending. Closed form solutions are obtained for simply supported beams subjected to uniform moment, central concentrated and uniformly distributed loads, which are valid for a wide range of section properties. Where the closed form solutions become inaccurate due to the complexity and variability of the buckled shape, numerical results are presented.