Slenderness Ratio
Definition
The ratio of effective column length to radius of gyration (λ = KL/r). It characterizes how prone a column is to buckling. Higher values indicate more slender columns that are more susceptible to elastic buckling.
Practical Note
Typical structural columns have λ = 40-120. Values below 20 are stocky (yielding governs). Values above 120 are very slender and may be impractical.