What is Bolt Preload?

Paul Ahrens December 17, 2018

A bolt and nut are used together as a compressive force to keep materials
connected. The threads of the nut work with the threads of the screw to
apply force to either side of the fastened material. This tension is called Bolt
Preload, which is the compression created as the nut is tightened against
the bolt (or vice-versa).

When a load (weight) is placed on a bolt, it is limited to the amount of load

the bolt can handle before failing. However, when a bolt is tightened against
a material, it allows the bolt to distribute the force through the material, so
the bolt itself only holds a portion of the load. This means that a bolt can
hold a significantly higher load when the correct amount of tension is
applied. That tension is known as preload.
Load – The amount of force acting on a fastener assembly

Preload – The amount of tension (compression) needed to distribute a

loadʼs force throughout a fastener assembly

Working Load – The load placed on the assembly once ready to perform

Bolt Preload – The tension created when the nut is screwed onto a bolt to
hold two materials together. When the tension reaches the optimal preload,
the working load (load added after creating the assembly) placed on a bolt
will be distributed into the installation materials, so the bolt does not take
the entire load.

The Outcomes of Bolt Preload:

If the assembly is loose (the preload is not correctly applied), the

external load increases the load on the bolt only. This will result in bolt
failure.
If the assembly is tight (the correct preload has been applied), the load
will only cause bolt deformation by distributing the load through the
bolt and the nut.

How Bolt Preload Works

Bolts are incredible tools, but they are actually not as strong as weʼd think.
When first glancing at a bolt assembly with a working load attached to it, it
appears as though the bolt is holding that entire load on its own. This is not
the case.

When a bolt has preload, it is able to distribute the working load out across
the plate near the head of the bolt. We will refer to this as the support plate.
This means a properly installed bolt assembly can withstand a much heavier
load as it distributes the force out away from itself. When a working load is
applied to a fastener assembly that has not been preloaded, the entire force
is placed on the bolt alone, which makes it much more likely to fail.
Why Is Bolt Preload So Important?

As discussed above, without bolt preload, the entire structure would be

totally reliant on the bolt to hold the weight. When preload is applied,
significantly less bolts are needed, as the material (Support Plate) will play a
significantly larger role in holding the working load. This is not a cure-all
however; a working load may still exceed the preload of the bolts which can
result in the bolts failing, the support plate failing, or both.

Easy Ways to Determine Bolt Preload

Use a Torque Wrench to Reach Optimal Torque

While this is not a true measure of bolt preload, if a bolt is
fastened to its optimal torque it can be assumed it is close to the
correct preload. The reason this method is not readily accepted is
because the torque will be directly affected by the material it is
being spun against. A rougher material will produce more friction,
 which will make the torque value higher while reducing the preload
tension. The opposite is also true. You can hit optimal torque
without hitting the optimal preload (and vice versa). In the end it
depends on the material, which is why this method isnʼt exact, but
it is a decent guess.
Use Preload Indicating Washers
Preload indicating washers are washers that are designed to spin
until a certain amount of load is applied to them. This way, once
the washer is no longer free-spinning, the preload has been met.
This is a much simpler way of determining if the correct
compression has been met.
Use Direct Tension Indicating Washers
These washers have little bumps that flatten when preload is
achieved. Once flattened, a feeler gauge is used to make sure the
bolt shaft is no more than 50% accessible under the washer
(ideally less).
Use Silicon Direct Tension Indicating Washers
These washers operate in a similar way to the direct tension
indicating washers above. These washers have small recesses
where a silicon paste is filled in. As the nut tightens against them,
the silicon begins to come out of the sides of the washer. To
identify when optimal preload is achieved on this type of washer,
the amount of recesses on the washer minus one need to be
exposed out the sides. For example: If there are 6 recesses, then a
minimum of 5 need to be exposed. 6 recesses – 1 recess = 5
(Preload has been reached)
Tighten Until Snug, and Then Tighten “X” Degrees
A less reliable approach is to tighten the nut until snug, and then
to torque the nut “X” degrees. For example, a recommendation of
90 degrees would look like the following: Spin the nut onto the
assembly until snug against the material. Attach the wrench to the
nut and spin it a quarter of a turn (90 degrees). This method will
 give you a close to accurate preload.

So what does bolt preload do?

Bolt preload ultimately allows a fully tightened bolt to survive in an

application where an untightened or loose assembly would fail very quickly.
When tight, the joint provides a conduit for the force to flow through into
the assembly materials themselves. This means the bolt assembly itself is
only under a portion of the force of the working load. While you cannot look
at a bolt and see this transfer occurring, the preload allows bolts to survive
in much more rigorous applications.

Fastener Mechanical Properties and Definitions

Fastener Acronyms