Critical Load On Struts Apparatus- Engineering Lab Training Systems

Features Low cost effective teaching Self-contained Wall-mounted Seven mild steel struts supplied Extra strut available, eccentrically loaded Tests pivoted or built-in ends Longitudinal and lateral loading Comparison with theoretical predictions 3 year warranty Range of Experiments Determination of Young's modulus of Elasticity for specimen material Struts with pivoted ends, but varying lengths a) to assess the effect of slenderness ratio on crippling load for the same specimen material  b) to compare with Euler and Perry-Robertson formula predictions  Struts of same length, but different end fixings a) to assess the effect of end constraint on crippling load  b) to compare with Euler and Perry-Robertson formula predictions  c) to observe the shape of each critically loaded strut  Slender strut with eccentric loading (optional accessory) a) to investigate how the lateral deflection of an eccentrically loaded strut varies with the applied load and eccentricity and to produce a Southwell plot. b) to compare the experimental and theoretical values for maximum lateral deflection Description This equipment is part of a range designed to both demonstrate and experimentally confirm basic engineering principles. Great care has been given to each item so as to provide wide experimental scope without unduly complicating or compromising the design. Each piece of apparatus is self-contained and compact. Setting up time is minimal, all measurements are made with the simplest possible instrumentation, so that the student involvement is purely with the engineering principles being taught. A piece of material in compression is called a strut. If it is short and stubby it will fail by compressive stress, but if it is slender the failure mode is that of buckling. The load at which the strut buckles depends on the way in which the ends are restrained. Built-in ends resist buckling more than ends which are free to move. The apparatus shows how the buckling mechanism occurs, and the influence of the end restraint. The apparatus is rigid and wall mounted. It can test struts between 0.75 m and 1 m in length with either pivoted or built-in ends. Axial load is applied to a load hanger linked by cables to the yoked ram whose travel can be pre-set to prevent permanent damage to the strut. A lateral load can be applied at any position to the strut. Seven mild steel specimens are supplied as standard. A dial gauge is supplied to measure strut deflection. With this equipment, an in depth study can be made of the factors that effect the buckling of a strut; its length, cross section, material and end restraint. Young's modulus for the strut material is derived in a secondary experiment, using the same equipment but with a specimen loaded as a beam. This equipment is part of a range designed to both demonstrate and experimentally confirm basic engineering principles. Great care has been given to each item so as to provide wide experimental scope without unduly complicating or compromising the design. Each piece of apparatus is self-contained and compact. Setting up time is minimal, and all measurements are made with the simplest possible instrumentation, so that the student involvement is purely with the engineering principles being taught. A complete instruction manual is provided describing the apparatus, its application, experimental procedure and typical test results.