The lateral buckling of slender reinforced concrete beams

The paper gives a brief summary of the theory of buckling for homogeneous materials, with special reference to reinforced concrete, account being taken of variations in shape and in loading. The method involves the determination of the flexural and torsional rigidities in the uncracked, cracked elastic, and cracked plastic states.

Tests were made on two series of beams: six of rectangular section (1 ½ × 16 in.), andfour inverted L beams.

It is concluded that the spanlwidth ratio is not the only factor affecting buckling; the widthlheight ratio and the percentage of reinforcement and its distribution are of equal importance.