Abstract:
New systems of pretwisted bars are suggested, and their stability under a conservative load is investigated. In this paper, closed-form relationships are obtained for the direct evaluation of critical loads of pretwisted cross bracings with different end connections and an arbitrary ratio of the dimensionless parameters of tension and compression elements. The equation for the critical loads is derived for tension and compression braces with different section properties, lengths, and axial loading. It is found that the critical load of a twisted brace is higher than that of a nontwisted brace. Parametric solutions are graphically displayed to clarify the distinct behavior, including the boundary separating symmetric and antisymmetric modes of buckling.