Stability and Postbuckling of a Platform with Flexible Legs Resting on a Slippery Surface

A rigid platform is supported by thin elastic legs. The legs are able to slide on the ground as they deform. The governing equations for large deformations are formulated and solved numerically by homotopy and quasi-Newton methods. Nonlinear phenomena such as nonuniqueness are found. A global critical load for nonlinear stability is presented.