Buckling length

Use Buckling length to define and adjust buckling length factors for timber member design checks.

When you activate the tool, a tool palette opens.

Buckling length tool palette

The tool palette contains the main tools and parameter controls for assigning buckling settings.

Define – assign buckling length settings to selected bar elements.
Properties – view or edit buckling length settings of existing definitions. Opens the Default settings dialogue for selected buckling length definitions.
Reset – remove assigned buckling length settings from selected elements.
Set beta factor – apply user-defined beta factor values to selected elements.
Copy buckling lengths – copy buckling length settings from one element and apply them to others.
Automatic beta calculation – let the program calculate beta factors automatically based on model conditions.
Default settings – open default values used when you create new buckling length definitions.

Flexural buckling, stiff direction – define settings for flexural buckling about the stiff axis.
Flexural buckling, weak direction – define settings for flexural buckling about the weak axis.
Lateral torsional and shear buckling – define settings for lateral torsional and shear buckling.

Flex. buckling, stiff – enable or disable assignment of buckling settings in the stiff direction.
Flex. buckling, weak – enable or disable assignment of buckling settings in the weak direction.
Lateral torsional buckling – enable or disable assignment of lateral torsional buckling settings.

beta – numeric field for the buckling length factor.
> – opens a small menu with predefined beta factors based on boundary conditions.

When you press Default settings, the dialogue depends on whether you are working with flexural buckling or lateral torsional buckling.

Flexural buckling default settings

The flexural-buckling dialogue contains the same beta input logic as the tool palette.

beta – default beta factor value for new buckling length definitions.
> – opens the same menu of predefined beta factors based on boundary conditions.
Sway – checkbox that controls whether sway conditions are considered in the default buckling setup.

Lateral torsional buckling default settings

The lateral-torsional-buckling dialogue opens a different set of controls.

Continuously restrained – checkbox that defines whether the member is continuously restrained.
Support conditions – two image-based buttons for selecting Simply supported or Cantilever.
Load position – three image-based buttons for selecting Top, Center, or Bottom.