Fatseners

BOLTED JOINTS
Different types of stresses developed
in screw fasteners due to initial
tightening and external load.
Combined effect of initial tightening
and external load on a bolted joint.
Leak proof joints and condition for
joint separation

Strength Constraints
Joints-Fasteners Stiffness
Joints-Member Stiffness
Bolt Strength

Joints: Fastener Stiffness

When a connection is desired that can be disassembled without
destructive methods and that is strong enough to resist
external tensile loads, moment loads, and shear loads, or a
combination of these, then the simple bolted joint using
hardened steel washers is a good solution.
Twisting the nut stretches the bolt
to produce the clamping force. This
clamping
force
is
called
the
pretention or bolt preload.
This force exists in the connection
after the nut has been
properly
tightened.
Figure 8-13
A bolted connection loaded in tension by the
forces P. Note the use of two washers. Note how
the threads extend into the body of the
connection. This is usual and is desired. LG is the
grip of the connection.

Joints: Fastener Stiffness

Figure 8-14 shows another
tension-loaded connection.
This joint uses cap screws
threaded into one of the
members.

Figure 8-14
Section of cylindrical pressure
vessel. Hexagon-head caps crews
are used to fasten the cylinder
head to the body. Note the use of
an O-ring seal. LG is the effective
length of the connection (See
Table 8-7) .

Joints: Fastener Stiffness

An alternative approach to this
problem (of not using a nut) would
be to use studs.
A stud is a rod threaded on both
ends. The stud is screwed into the
lower member first; then the top
member is positioned and fastened
down with hardened washers and
nuts
Studs are regarded as permanent,
and
so
the
joint
can
be
disassembled merely by removing
the nut and washer.

Joints: Fastener Stiffness

Spring Rate : The ratio between

the force applied to the member
and the deflection produced by
that force.

The grip LG of a connection is the

total thickness of the clamped
material.

Total
distance
between
the
underside of the nut to the
bearing face of the bolt head;
includes
washer,
gasket
thickness etc.

The grip LG here is the

sum of the thicknesses
of both members and
both washers.

Table 8-7
Suggested
Procedure
Finding fastener Stiffness
To find different parameters use
table 8-7

Dr. A. Aziz Bazoune

Chapter 8:
Screws, Fasteners and the Design of
Nonpermanent Joints

for

In joint under tension the members are under compression and the
bolt under tension: kb = equivalent spring constant of bolt
composed of threaded kt and unthreaded kd parts acting as springs
in series.

1
1
1 From Chapter 5

kb kd kt (Springs in series)
kd kt
kb
kd kt

For short

Ad E
At E
bolts
kd
, kt
ld
lt k = k
b
t
Ad At E
kb
Adlt Atld

At: tensile stress area (Tables 8-1, 8-2), lt: length of threaded
portion of the grip; Ad: major diameter area of fastener; ld:
length of unthreaded portion in grip. kb: is the estimated
effective stiffness of the bolt or cap screw in the clamped zone.

Joints- Member Stiffness

There may be more than two members included
in the grip of the fastener.
All together these act like compressive springs
in series.
Equivalent spring
1
1constant
1
1km
1

km

k1

k2

k3

....

ki

If one of the members is a soft gasket, its stiffness relative

to the other members is usually so small that for all
practical purposes the others can be neglected and only
gasket stiffness used.
With no gasket, the stiffness of the members is difficult to
obtain, except by experimentation.
Compression spreads out between the bolt head and the
nut and area is not uniform.

Joints Member Stiffness

Joint pressure distribution theoretical models

Ito used ultrasonic techniques to determine pressure distribution at

the member interface. Results show that pressure stays high out to
about 1.5 bolt radii.
Ito suggested the use of Rotschers pressure cone method for
stiffness calculations with a variable cone angle. This method is quite
complicated.

Joints Member Stiffness

Figure 8-15

Joints Member Stiffness

We choose a simpler approach using a

fixed cone angle.
The contraction of an element of the
cone of thickness dx is subjected to a
compressive force P is, from Eq. (5-3),

Pdx
d
EA

The area of the element is

D
d
A r ri x tan
2
2

D d
D d

x tan
x tan

2
2

2
0

Figure 8-15b general cone

geometry using a half-apex
angle .

8-5 Joints Member Stiffness

Substituting this into the previous equation and integrating the

resulting equation from 0 to t gives.

P
(2t tan D d)(D d)

ln
Ed tan (2t tan D d)(D d)
P
Ed tan
k
(8-19)
ln (2t tan D d)(D d)
(2t tan D d)(D d)

For Members made of Aluminum, hardened steel and cast iron 25o<<33o

With =30o, this becomes

0.574 E d
(1.55 t D d)(D d)
ln
(1.55 t D d)(D d)

(8-20)

8-5 Joints Member Stiffness

Substituting this into the previous equation and integrating the

resulting equation from 0 to t gives.

P
(2t tan D d)(D d)

ln
Ed tan (2t tan D d)(D d)
P
Ed tan
k
ln (2t tan D d)(D d) (8-19)
(2t tan D d)(D d)

With =30o, this becomes

0.574 E d
(1.55 t D d)(D d)
ln
(1.55 t D d)(D d)

(8-20)

8-5 Joints Member Stiffness

If members of the joint have the same E with symmetrical frusta (l=2t),
then they act as two identical springs in series km = k/2. For = 30 and
D = dw = 1.5 d, this can be written as,

km

2 ln

0.5774 E d
0.5774 l 0.5d
5

0.5774 l 2.5d

(8-22)

Finite element analysis agree with = 30o recommendation coinciding

exactly at the aspect ratio d/l = 0.4.
Additionally, FEM offered an exponential curve-fit of the form

km
Ae(Bd/l)
Ed
where A and B are given in Table 8-8.

(8-23)

Joints Member Stiffness

Figure 8-16
The dimensionless plot
of stiffness versus
aspect ratio of the
members of a bolted
joint, showing the
relative accuracy of
method of Rotsher,
Michke and Motosh,
compared to Finite
Element Analysis (FEA)
conducted by Wileman,
Choudury, and Green.

Joints Member Stiffness

Bolt Strength

Bolt strength is specified by:

1.
2.
3.

minimum proof strength Sp

or minimum proof load Fp,
and minimum tensile strength, Sut

The proof load is the maximum load

(force) that a bolt can withstand
without acquiring a permanent set.

The proof strength is the quotient

of the proof load and the tensilestress area.

The proof strength is about 90% of the 0.2%

offset yield strength.

Bolt Strength

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.

If Sp not available use:

Sp =0.85 Sy
Fp = At Sp

8-6 Bolt Strength

Dr. A. Aziz Bazoune

Chapter 8:
Screws, Fasteners and the Design of
Nonpermanent Joints

Dr. A. Aziz Bazoune

Chapter 8:
Screws, Fasteners and the Design of
Nonpermanent Joints

Dr. A. Aziz Bazoune

Chapter 8:
Screws, Fasteners and the Design of
Nonpermanent Joints

END