In: Mechanical Engineering
What does a Southwell plot tell us about column imperfections?
The Southwell Plot is a well-known graphical method of determining experimentally a structure's elastic critical load, without needing to subject the structure to loading in the vicinity of critical.
The technique can be used for non-destructive testing of any structural elements that may fail by buckling.
Southwell's Plot is applicable to the neutral post-buckling path structures only. Initially created for stability problem in column buckling, the Southwell method has also been used to determine critical loads in frame and plate buckling experiments.
This method is particularly useful for field tests of structures that are likely to be damaged by applying to loads in the vicinity of critical and beyond, such as reinforced concrete columns or advanced composite materials. This method can also minimize the parasitic effects in experiments and give values that are closer to the theoretically expected values. But it is impossible to reproduce any theoretical boundary condition perfectly.