Thread Standards and Definitions

𝐻 3
𝑑𝑝 = 𝑑 − = 𝑑− p =
2 4

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 8-3 Threaded Fasteners

Hexagon head bolt

• Usually uses nut
• Heavy duty applications

a) Fillister head
b) Flat head
c) Hexagonal socket head

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Threaded Fasteners

Hexagon-head bolts are one of the most

common for engineering applications
• Standard dimensions are included in
Table A–29
• W is usually about 1.5 times nominal
diameter LT
• Bolt length L is measured from below L
the head

Thread Length

Thread Length
(Metric)

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 8-4 Joints – Fastener Stiffness

Bolted with nut

• Grip length l includes everything being
compressed by bolt preload, including
washers
• Washer under head prevents burrs at the
hole from gouging into the fillet under the bolt
head

Threads tapped into joint member

• Hex-head cap screw in tapped hole used to
fasten cylinder head to cylinder body
• Only part of the threaded length of the bolt
contributes to the effective grip l

Effective grip length:

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Joints – Fastener Stiffness

Bolt Stiffness
• Axially loaded rod, partly threaded and partly
unthreaded
• Consider each portion as a spring
• Combine as two springs in series

Springs in series:

Spring rates of threaded, kt , and unthreaded, kd , portions of bolt:

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Joints – Fastener Stiffness

Bolt Stiffness
• Axially loaded rod, partly threaded and partly
unthreaded
• Consider each portion as a spring
• Combine as two springs in series

Effective stiffness of the bolt

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Joints – Fastener Stiffness
Procedure to find Bolt Stiffness

Grip length:
thickness of all material squeezed
= between face of bolt and face of nut

Fastener length:

Threaded length LT:

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Joints – Fastener Stiffness
Procedure to find Bolt Stiffness

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 8-5 Joints – Member Stiffness

• Stress distribution spreads from face of bolt

head and nut
• Modeled as a cone with top cut off
• Called a frustum

• Model compressed members as if they are frusta spreading

from the bolt head and nut to the midpoint of the grip
• Each frustum has a half-apex angle of α
• Find stiffness for frustum in compression
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Joints – Member Stiffness

Springs in series:

Contraction of Frustum:

Area:

Substituting area and integrating:

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Joints – Member Stiffness

Member Stiffness:

What is α ?

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 Joints – Member Stiffness

Experimental methods have reported

a range of 25˚≤ α ≤ 33˚

Where is the diameter of the washer face and

This equation must be solved separately for each frustum in the joint.
Then the individual stiffnesses are assembled to obtain km springs in series
equation.
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 Joints – Member Stiffness

Determination of α :

FE analysis compared with various

experimental measurements.

FE compares closely with Mischke 30˚

FEM curve fit equation:

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Joints – Fastener Stiffness

Problem 8-11

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Joints – Fastener Stiffness

Problem 8-11
a) Determine a suitable length for the bolt, rounded up to the nearest 5mm.

Length of bolt depends on thickness of steel

plates (15mm) and length required for nut.

Table A-31: Dimensions of Hexagonal Nuts

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Joints – Fastener Stiffness

Problem 8-11
b) Determine the bolt stiffness.

From Table 8-7:

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 8-6 Bolt Strength
Grades specify material, heat treatment, strengths

• Table 8–9 for SAE grades

• Table 8–10 for ASTM designations

• Table 8–11 for metric property class

Grades should be marked on head of bolt

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Bolt Strength

Proof load is the maximum load that a bolt can

withstand without acquiring a permanent set

Proof strength is the quotient of proof load and

tensile-stress area

• Corresponds to proportional limit

• Slightly lower than yield strength

• Typically used for static strength of bolt

Good bolt materials have stress-strain curve that

continues to rise to fracture

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 Bolt Strength

Table 8-9
SAE Specifications
for Steel Bolts

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 Bolt Strength

Table 8-10
ASTM Specifications
for Steel Bolts

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Bolt Strength
Table 8-11 Metric Mechanical-Property Classes for Steel Bolts, Screws, and Studs

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 8-7 Tension Joints – The External Load

During bolt preload:

• Bolt is stretched
• Members in grip are compressed

When external load P is applied:

• Bolt stretches an additional amount
δ
• Members in grip uncompress by
same amount δ

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 8-7 Tension Joints – The External Load

Stiffness of the joint:

Resultant loads on bolt and members:

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