On the prevention or facilitation of buckling of beams

The present paper considers the use of linear or rotary transverse springs to: (i) prevent the buckling of beams by raising the critical buckling load and thus allow a larger axial tension; (ii) provoke the buckling of beams, by lowering the critical buckling load, facilitating the demolition of a structure. The prevention or facilitation of buckling depends on the positioning of the linear and/or rotary springs to oppose or favour bending, for example: at the tip of a (i) cantilever or clamped–free beam; at the middle of a (ii) clamped–clamped, (iii) pinned–pinned or (iv) clamped–pinned beam. In all eight of the four beam supports (i)–(iv) with either linear or rotary springs, the relation between the critical buckling load and the resilience of the spring is obtained.