Buckling stability analysis of AFGM heavy columns with nonprismatic solid regular polygon cross-section and constant volume

This work presents a comprehensive analysis of buckling stability of axially functionally graded material (AFGM) heavy columns with nonprismatic solid regular polygon cross-section (RPCS) and constant volume. First, this study formulates the explicit stiffnesses of AFGM member with nonprismatic solid RPCS, with a particular focus on flexural rigidity and mass per unit length. Furthermore, the formulated stiffnesses are applied to the buckling stability of the column with its own weight, called heavy column. The differential equation which governs the bucked mode shape of such column is derived, along with the boundary conditions. Numerical solution methods are presented to compute the buckling load and its buckled mode shape. This study provides a detailed presentation of the buckling loads, which are compiled into comprehensive tables and visualized through various figures. An extensive parametric study highlights the influence of geometric and material properties on buckling performance, fostering discussions on the implications for design and application in structural engineering.