A mechanical model is proposed for the system of elastic beam and strain-softening pillar where strain localization is initiated at peak shear stress. To obtain the plastic deformation of the pillar due to the shear slips of multiple shear bands, the pillar is divided into several narrow slices where compressive deformation is treated as uniformity. In the light of the compatibility condition of deformation, the total compressive displacement of the pillar is equal to the displacement of the beam in the middle span. An instability criterion is derived analytically based on the energy principle using a known size of localization band according to gradient dependent plasticity. The main advantage of the present model is that the effects of the constitutive parameters of rock and the geometrical size of structure are reflected in the criterion. The condition that the derivative of distributed load with respect to the deflection of the beam in the middle span is less than zero is not only equivalent to, but A obtainable at the system of elastic beam and strain-softening pillar where strain is initiated at peak shear stress. In the light of the compatibility condition of deformation, the total compressive displacement of the pillar is equal to the displacement of the beam in the middle span. An instability criterion is derived analytically based on the energy principle using a known size of localization band according to gradient dependent plasticity. The main advantage of the present model is that the effects of the constitutive parameters of rock and the geometrical size of the structures are reflected in the criterion. The condition that the derivative of distributed load with respect to the deflection of the beam in the middle span is less than zero is not only equivalent to, but