Investigation of buckling behavior of micro columns with variable section

Recently, rapid advances in technology have led to an increased interest in micro and nano-sized structures. Many developed countries have identified nanotechnology as their most important research area. Consequently, the mechanical behavior of micron and smaller structures has become an area of research that has attracted much attention of the scientific world. The mechanical behavior of these structures has been tried to be determined by both experiments and the atomistic approaches. However, these studies are limited because they are expensive and require more time. For this reason, researchers interested in this topic have turned to continuum mechanics approaches. In this thesis, the size-dependent buckling analysis of micro columns with variable cross-section on elastic foundation is performed. Modified couple stress and Bernoulli-Euler beam theories are used in modeling. It is assumed that the micro column is made of nickel and has homogeneous material properties. The interaction of this micro column with an elastic foundation is considered using Winkler elastic foundation model. Critical buckling load calculation is made by using Rayleigh-Ritz solution method for micro columns with variable cross-section in which one end is clamped and the other end is free (cantilever). The effects of length scale parameter, taper ratio, and elastic foundation on critical buckling load are investigated.