Question

Four identical hollow cylindrical columns of steel support a big structure of mass 50,000 kg. The inner and outer radii of each column are 30 cm and 40 cm respectively. Assume the load distribution to be uniform, calculate the compressional strain in each column. The Young's modulus of steel is 2 x 10¹¹ Pa.

Answer 1

Load on each column = F = mg/4 = 50 ,000 x  9 .8/4 N = 12500N

Compressional strain  = Stress/Y = F/A/Y = F/AY