Chapter-8

Bolt Strength
Bolt strength is specified by Minimum Proof Strength Sp (or Minimum Proof Load Fp)
and Minimum Tensile Strength, Sut

Proof load  Maximum load

before a permanent set (0.0001in.)

If Sp not available use Sp =0.85 Sy

Fp = At Sp

 The SAE specifications are given

in Table 8-9.
 Bolt grades are numbered
according to minimum tensile
strength.
 The ASTM Specs for steel bolts
(structural) are in Table 8-10.
 Metric Specs are in table 8-11.

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 Bolt Strength
Back

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 Bolt Strength

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 Bolt Strength

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 Bolt Strength
Minimum strengths are strengths exceeded by 99 percent of fasteners.

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 Tension Joints
In bolted joint (without external load):
 The members are under compression and
 The bolt under tension

P P
P P Springs in parallel
P
P δ

kb

km

P P
P P P P
  b  m
External Load P is shared by bolt and members P  Pb  Pm
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 Tension Joints
Static Analysis P P
P P
External Load P is shared by bolt and members
Equilibrium P  Pb  Pm 1
kb
Compatibility   b  m (2)
km
P P Pk
Relation P-d   m  b & Pm  b m 3
k m kb kb
On Solving; P P P P
kb km kb
Pb  P  CP Pm  P  (1  C ) P C
kb  k m kb  k m kb  k m
 C is the stiffness constant of the joint,

Total Bolt Load

Total Member Load

 High preload is desirable in tension connections
 Fm =0, indicates separation of the joint.
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 Tension Joints
Important Parameters
Fi  Preload P P
P P
P  External tensile load
Pb  Portion of P taken by bolt
kb
Pm  Portion of P taken by members km
Fb  Pb  Fi  Resultant bolt load
Fm  Pm  Fi  Resultant load on members P P P P
C  Fraction of P carried by bolt
1  C  Fraction of P carried by members

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 Statically Loaded Tension Joint with Preload
Preload Stress in the bolt:
P P P P
Fi
i 
At kb
km
Service Load in the bolt:
Fb CP  Fi CP P P
b    i P P
At At At

At: Tensile stress area (From table 8-1 or 8-2)

0.75Fp For reused fasteners or non-permanent joint

Fi  
0.90 Fp For permanent joint

Fp  S p  At

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 Static Joint Failure
Possible Joint Failure Modes

1-Bolt Yielding 2- Joint Seperation

Fm  0
b  Sp

12
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 Static Joint Failure
1-Bolt Yielding
Sp S p At
Yield factor of safety: n p  
b CP  Fi
It is common to preload the bolts very close to its proof strength, so a load
factor (instead of yield factor of safety) is used.

C nL P   Fi S p At  Fi
b   Sp nL 
At CP
Load factor (nL) is similar to a factor of safety and any value

n > 1 ensures that the bolt stress is less than the proof
2- Joint Seperation
strength. P Fi
Fm  (1  C ) P0  Fi  0 n0  0 
P (1  C )P

P0 : Value of the external load that would cause joint separation.

n0 : Factor of safety against joint separation.
2. Joint Separati on, Fm
 0
Fm  (1  C )P  Fi  0

Replace P by (P/N) in above expressions

0

P0 Fi
n0  
P P 1  C 
F or N bolt s ,
Fi
n0 
P / N 1  C 

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 Relating Bolt Torque to Bolt Tension
• A high preload is very desirable in important bolted connections,
• It must be ensured that the preload is actually developed when the parts are
assembled.
 Using elongation of screw (usually cannot be measured)
 Using torque wrench with built-in dial
 Using impact wrenching with adjusted air pressure
 Using turn-of-the-nut method (eg 180o from snug-tight condition
• The snug-tight condition is the tightness attained by a few impacts of an
impact wrench, or
• The full effort of a person using an ordinary wrench.

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 Relating Bolt Torque to Bolt Tension

T: Bolt Torque, K : Torque Coefficient, Fi : Preload, d: Major Diameter

with

dm: Mean Diameter, λ : Lead Angle,

α: Thread included angle
fc : Coefficient of collar friction,
f: Coefficient of thread friction

K Values:
1- Use Eq. (8-26) if f and fc are given
2- K = 0.20 if bolt condition is not stated
3- Use Table 8-15 if bolt condition is
stated

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 EXAMPLE 8–3

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 EXAMPLE 8–3
(Continued)

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 EXAMPLE 8–3
(Continued)

UN- Threads

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 EXAMPLE 8–4

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 EXAMPLE 8–4

From Eq. (8–13), the thread length is

Therefore, and lt = l −ld = 0.75 in

The bolt stiffness is then

Alternatively

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 EXAMPLE 8–4
(Contd…)

The preload for reusing the load is:

So, 6 bolts may be used.

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 EXAMPLE 8–4

Practice Problems: 8-25, 8-26, 8-29 to 8-40, 8-46, 8-47

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 EXAMPLE 8–4

Back 8.3 (a) 8.3 (b) Back 8.4

Back

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 EXAMPLE 8–4

Back

Back

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 EXAMPLE 8–4

Back

l d  L  LT lt  l  ld

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 EXAMPLE 8–4

km Back
 A exp( Bd / l )
Ed

A and B from Table 8.8

Table 8-8: Stiffness parameters for various member materials

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