 Introduction

 Types of connections depends upon

 Joint Definitions according to IS 800
 Bolted connections
 Types of Bolted connections
 Load transfer mechanism
 Failure of Bolted Joints
 Terminology
 Specifications of Bolted Joints- Refer IS 800-2007
 Design of Bearing Type connections- Refer IS 800-
2007
 Connections form an important part of any structure and are
designed more conservatively than members.
 This is because, connections are more complex than
members to analyse, and the discrepancy between analysis
and actual behaviour is large.
 Further, in case of overloading, we prefer the failure confined
to an individual member rather than in connections, which
could affect many members.
 Connections account for more than half the cost of structural
steelwork and so their design and detailing are of primary
importance for the economy of the structure.
 The type of connection designed has an influence on
member design and so must be decided even prior
to the design of the structural system and design of
members.
 For example, in the design of bolted tension
members, the net area is calculated assuming a
suitable number and diameter of bolts based on
experience. Therefore, it is necessary to verify the net
area after designing the connection.
 Similarly in the analysis of frames, the member forces
are determined by assuming the connections to be
pinned, rigid, or semi-rigid, as the actual behaviour
cannot be precisely defined.
 Methods of Fastening- Rivets, Bolts and Welding
 Connection rigidity- Simple, Rigid, Semi Rigid
 Joint Resistance- Bearing connection and Friction
resistance
 Fabrication location- shop or field connections
 Joint Location- Beam-column, beam to beam, column to
foundation
 Connection geometry- Single web angle, single plate,
double web angle, top and seat angles, end plates,
header plate, welded connections using plates and
angles.
 Types of forces transferred across the structural
connection- shear connection, shear and moment
connection or simply moment connection, tension or
compression, and tension or compression with shear.
 Based on the connection Rigidity
 Rigid Connection

 Simple connection

 Semi Rigid Connection

 Rigid Connection:- Rigid connections develop the full
moment capacity of connecting members and retain the
original angle between the members under any joint rotation,
that is, rotational movement of the joint will be very small on
these connections.
 Simple Connections:- In simple connections no moment
transfer is assumed between the connected parts and hence
are assumed as hinged(pinned). The rotational movement of
the joint will be large in this case. Actually, a small amount of
moment will be developed but is normally ignored in the
design.
 Semi Rigid Connection:- Semi- rigid connections may not
have sufficient rigidity to hold the original angles between the
members and develop less than the full moment capacity of
the connected members.
 Black Bolts- C Bolts (IS 1363: 2002)

 Turned Bolts
 Precision bolts or A grade bolts (IS 1364:2002)
 Semi Precision bolts or B grade bolts (IS 1364: 2002)
 Ribbed Bolts

 High Strength Bolts (IS 3757: 1985 and IS 4000: 1992)

 BLACK BOLTS:-
 The International Standards Organisation designation for
bolts, also followed in India, is given by Grade x.y.
 In this nomenclature, x indicates one-tenth of the minimum
ultimate tensile strength of the bolt in kgf/mm2 and the
second number, y, indicates one tenth of the ratio of the
yield stress to ultimate stress, expressed as a percentage.
 Thus, for example, grade 4.6 bolt will have a minimum
ultimate strength 40 kgf/mm2 (392 Mpa) and minimum yield
strength of 0.6 times 40, which is 24 kgf/mm2 (235 Mpa).
 1 kgf/mm2=9.81 N/mm2
 Black bolts are unfinished and are made of mild steel and are
usually of Grade 4.6.
 They are the least expensive bolts. However, they may not produce
the least expensive connection since the connection may require a
large number of such bolts.
 They are primarily used in light structures under static loads such as
small trusses, purlin, bracings and platforms.
 They are also used as temporary fasteners during erection where
HSFG bolts or welding are used as permanent fasteners.
 They are not recommended for connections subjected to impact,
fatigue or dynamic loads.
 Black bolts have adequate strength and ductility when used
properly; but while tightening the nut snug tight (“Snug tight” is
defined as the tightness that exists when all plies in a joint are in firm
contact) will twist off easily if tightened too much.
 Snug tight is defined as the tightness attained by the full effort
of a man using a standard podger spanner or
by a few impacts of an impact wrench.
As per IS 1363: 2002
 In steel construction, generally, bolts of property class
4.6 are used. In property class 4.6, the number 4
indicates 1/10th of the nominal ultimate tensile
strength in N/mm2 and the number 6 indicates the
ratio of 1/10th of yield stress to ultimate stress,
expressed as percentage.
 Thus, the ultimate tensile strength of a class 4.6 bolt is
400 N/mm2 and yield strength is 0.6 times 400, which is
240 N/mm2.
 Due to the high percentage elongation of these
bolts, they are more ductile.
 For bolts of property class 4.6, nuts of property class 4
are used and for bolts of property class 8.8, nuts of
property class 8 or 10 are used.
 These are similar to unfinished bolts, with the
difference that the shanks of these bolts are formed
from a hexagonal rod.
 The surface of these bolts are prepared and
machined carefully to fit in the hole.
 Tolerances allowed are about 0.15mm to 0.5mm.
 Since tolerances available is small, these bolts are
expensive.
 The small tolerance necessitates the use of special
methods to ensure that all the holes align correctly.
 They are mainly used in special jobs. (in some
machines and where there are dynamic loads.)
 The diameter of the hole is about 1.5 to 2.0 mm larger
than the bolt diameter for ease in fitting.
 HSFG bolts provide extremely efficient connections and perform well under fatigue
load conditions.
 High Strength Friction Grip Bolts (HSFG) bolts are high strength structural bolts which
have been tightened such as to induce tension in the bolt shank. Due to the tension in
the bolt, the interface between the plies (steel members in a joint) cannot move
relative to each other because of the friction resistance and require hardened
washers to distribute the load under the bolt heads.
 The washers are usually tapered when used on rolled steel sections.
 The tension in the bolt ensures that no slip takes place under working conditions and
so the load transmission from plate to bolt is through friction and by bearing.
 However, under ultimate loads, the friction may be overcome leading to a slip and so
bearing will govern the design.
 HSFG bolts are made from quenched and tampered alloy sheets with grades from 8.8
to 10.9.
 The most common are the so-called, general grade of 8.8 and have medium carbon
content, which makes them less ductile.
 The 10.9 grade have a much higher tensile strength, but lower ductility and the margin
between the 0.2% yield strength and ultimate strength is also lower.
 Commonly available nominal diameters of HSFG bolts are 16,20,24,30 and 36mm.
 The bolts act differently than normal bolts as
explained below:

Ordinary Bolt action 1: Bearing of bolt/ plate

Ordinary Bolt action 2: Shearing of bolt

Friction along interface takes load in case of

HSFG Bolt subject to shear
 Rigid Joint Provision
 High frictional resistance
 Load transfer is done by friction
 The possibility of failure is minimum.
 No stress concentration in the holes, therefore fatigue strength is
more.
 No noise nuisance
 For same strength less number of bolts are required.
 Material cost is high.

 Special attention is to be given to workmanship

especially to give right amount of tension in the
bolt.
 Lap Joint

 Butt Joint
 Lap Joint:- A lap joint or overlap joint is a joint in which the
members overlap. Lap joints can be used to join wood, plastic,
or metal.
 A lap joint may be a full lap or half lap. In a full lap, no material is
removed from either of the members to be joined, resulting in a
joint which is the combined thickness of the two members.
 Butt joint:- is a technique in which two pieces of wood are
joined by simply placing their ends together without any special
shaping.
 The two members to be connected are placed end to end.
Additional cover plates are provided on either one or both sides
and are connected to main plates. If the cover plate is placed
only on one side it is called single cover butt joint and if the
cover plates are provided on both sides of the main plates it is
called double cover butt joint.
 Figure shows the free body diagram of the shear force transfer in bearing
type of bolted connection.
 It is seen that tension in one plate is equilibrated by the bearing stress
between the bolt and the hole in the plate. Since there is a clearance
between the bolt and the hole in which it is fitted, the bearing stress is
mobilised only after the plates slip relative to one another and start bearing
on the bolt .
 The section x-x in the bolt is critical section for shear. Since it is a lap joint
there is only one critical section in shear (single shear) in the bolt.
 In the case of butt splices there would be two critical sections in the bolt in
shear (double shear), corresponding to the two cover plates.
 Shear failure of bolt

 Bearing failure of bolt

 Tensile failure of bolt

 Bending of bolt

 Shear failure of plate

 Bearing failure of plate

 Tensile failure of plate

 Shear stresses in bolts are generated when the plates slip due to the applied
forces. The maximum shear stresses in the bolt may exceed the nominal
shear capacity of the bolts. Shear failure of the bolt takes place at the bolt
shear plane.
 When an ordinary plates is subjected to shear force, the slip takes place and
the bolt comes in contact with the plates. If the plate material is weaker
than bolt then the shear tear out at the end of the connected member
takes place.
 Plates bolted together and subjected to tensile load may result in shearing
of bolts. In case of lap joint, when the shearing of bolt occurs at one plane, it
is referred to as single shear failure.
 If the shearing of bolt occurs at two different planes, as in the case of double
cover butt joint, it is referred to as double shear failure.
 When factored tensile force on the bolt
exceeds its tensile capacity, the bolt will fail in
tension.
 The tensile capacity of bolt depends upon
tensile strength of bolt material and minimum
cross sectional area of the threaded part of
the bolt.
 When strength of bolt material is lower than the strength of
plates, the bolt will not be able to provide sufficient bearing
to plates and bolt will fail in bearing.
 Normally bolt does not fail in bearing owing to much higher
strength than that of steel plate.

Ref:
NPTEL
LECTURE
NOTES
 Pitch(p):- It is the distance between the centres of two consecutive
bolts measured along row of bolts parallel to the direction of the
loading in a member.
 Gauge Distance(g):- It is the distance between two consecutive
bolts of adjacent rows and is measured perpendicular to the
direction of bolts.
 Edge Distance(e):- It is distance of the centre to centre of bolt hole
from the adjacent end of the plate.
 End Distance(e’):- It is the distance of the centre of nearest bolt hole
from the end of the plate.
 Refer Page No. 73 and 74- IS 800-2007