PREBUCKLING AND POSTBUCKLING BEHAVIOR OF MECHANICAL STRUCTURES IN TERMS OF PHASE-TRANSITIONS

Pre- and postbuckling behavior of stable-symmetric mechanical structur es is investigated in close proximity of the buckling point. Two buckl ing mechanisms are found as analogous to phase transitions: bifurcatio n of equilibrium is analogous to phase transitions of the second order , snap through is analogous to the first order phase transition. The a nalogy is related to the same symmetry changes in buckling and in phas e transitions at their critical points.