Steel structures Laboratory

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1. BOLTED CONNECTIONS
1.1 RANGE AND CLASS OF THE SCREW FASTENERS

Diameter of bolts for building structures:

Class of bolts:
3.6, 4.6, 4.8,

M10, M12, M16, M20, M24, M27, M30

5.6, 5.8, 6.6, 8.8,

10.9, 12.9
high strength bolts

10.9
-

0.01 fu
0.1 fy/fu

Materials:
- low carbon steel
- carbon steel
- alloy steel (bolts class 8.8 and 10.9)

Methods of production
- hot or cold plastic working
- mechanical working
- mechanical and plastic working
- heat treatment (hardening + tempering) high
strength bolts

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-1Lecture 3: Bolted connections.

Steel structures Laboratory

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Class of nuts:
4,

5,

8,

10,

12.

Bolts class high than 4.8 i 5.6 and nuts class 4 should be marked.

Tolerances for fasteners.

Depending on the accuracy of proper dimensions and geometrical and the surface roughness
three grades of making screws are being distinguished:
- high grade
A
- mid - range grade
B
- coarse grade
C

In non preloaded connections are used bolts 4.8 i 5.6 grades (B) or (C):
d 20 mm 4.8
d > 20 mm 5.6
In preloaded connections are used high strength bolts 8.8 10.9 grade B (mid - range grade).

Washers

flat washer

high strength washer

shim
washer

Drawing symbol of bolts

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-2Lecture 3: Bolted connections.

Steel structures Laboratory

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1.2 CATEGORIES OF BOLTED CONNECTIONS

CATEGORY A: SHEAR CONNECTIONS BEARING TYPE

Shear connection external force direction is perpendicular to bolt axis.

External force is transferred by shear of the bolt shank or bearing bolts to connection element.

For simplification of the montage, the hole diameter is greater than nominal bolt diameter:
for d14 mm
do=d+1 mm
for 16d24 mm
do=d+2 mm
for 27d44 mm
do=d+3 mm.

In elements bolt holes can be punched or drilled. During the punching a steel is deformed and its
plasticity is decreased along hole edge. Therefore punching is used for steel plates with
thickness less than t25 mm.

Nuts should be established so that marking the class is visible.

When the surface of element is drawn aside more than 3 from the perpendicular to the bolt
axis, the shim washer should be used.

Tightening of the bolts: connected elements should be cling together. Tolerance less than 2 mm
is acceptable if this is not give in design recommendations. Bolts should be manual tightening
till first point of resistance. First point of resistance is defined as a tightening nominal hand
wrench with one hand power.

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-3Lecture 3: Bolted connections.

Steel structures Laboratory

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EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF THE BOLTS IN SHEAR CONNECTIONS
Class
of
bolts
Bolts
diameter
number of
washers
Length of
the bolts l,
mm
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160

4.8
M12
2

5.6

M16
1

M20
1

10.9

M24
1

M30
1

M20
1

M24
1

M27
1

Range of the effective length for bolts , mm

5 7.5 7.510
1012.5 12.515
1517.5 17.520 6 9
2022.5 22.525 1214
1719
2224
2729
3234
3738

912
1417
1922
2427
2932
3437
3942

610
1415
1920
2425
2930
3640
4650
5660
6670

1014
1519
2024
2529
3036
4046
5056
6066
7074

1016
812
1617
2122
2832
3842
4852
5862

1216
1721
2228
3238
4248
5258
6266
6670

1620 2026
914
1924
2934
3944
4954
5458
5863 6368
1419
2429
3439
4449

2630
3640
4650
5660
6670

3036
4046
5056
6066
7074
7478

1218
1822
2832
3842
4852
5862

2228
3238
4248
5258
6266
6672
7276 7680

1520
2530
3540
4550
5560
6064
6469 6974
7479 7984
2025
3035
4045
5055

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-4Lecture 3: Bolted connections.

Steel structures Laboratory

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CATEGORY C: SHEAR CONNECTIONS SLIP-RESISTANT AT ULTIMATE LIMIT STATE

Shear connection external force direction is perpendicular to bolt axis.

External force is transferred by friction between connected elements. The friction force is a
result of the bolt preloading. In this connection a high strength grade bolts are used. The friction
surfaces should be adequately prepared.

Hole diameter and technology, method of washers and nuts tightening is similar like the joint
A category.

High strength washer should be established phasing side adjacent to head of the bolt and nut.

For preloaded bolts the design preload Fp ,Cd .to be used in design calculations should be taken
as: Fp.Cd 0,7 fub As / M 7 , where As is the tensile stress area of the bolt and fub is the ultimate
tensile strength of the bolt. Nominal value of the preload force should be specified in design
documentation.

At tightening of the nuts, treated part of the bolt and washer under turn off part of connection
should be greased by the graphited grease or molybdenum paste.

Tightening the bolts in prestressed joints should make connectors successively from the middle
of everyone multi-bolts connections, repeating the entire procedure all the way to getting regular
stretching the bolts.

One of the major problems with the use of bolted joints is the precision, with regard to
achieving an accurate preload, of the bolt tightening method selected. Insufficient preload,
caused by an inaccurate tightening method, is a frequent cause of bolted joint failure.

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-5Lecture 3: Bolted connections.

Steel structures Laboratory

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There are six main methods used to control the preload of a threaded fastener. Specifically:
1. Torque control tightening. Controlling the torque which a fastener is tightened to is the most
popular means of controlling preload. The nominal torque necessary to tighten the bolt to a
given preload can be determined either from tables, or, by calculation using a relationship
between torque and the resulting bolt tension.
Bolt
diameter

Bolt class 10.9

Bolt class 8.8

Preload
Torque moment1)
Preload
force
Mo [Nm]
force
Fp.Cd [kN] Light oiling2) MoS2 paste Fp.Cd [kN]
M12
60
130
110
47
M16
110
320
260
88
M20
172
620
510
137
M24
247
1070
900
198
M27
321
1560
1300
257
M30
393
2120
1750
314
1)
at preload force equal 0.5 Fp.Cd, the torque moment 0.5 Mo
2)
also by the graphited grease.

Torque moment1)
Mo [Nm]
Light oiling2) MoS2 paste
100
85
250
210
500
410
880
720
1250
1050
1700
1400

2. Angle control tightening. The method has been applied for use with power wrenches, the bolt
being tightened to a predetermined angle (120 to 240) beyond the elastic range and results
in a small variation in the preload due, in part, to the yield stress tolerance.
3. Yield controlled tightening. The electronic wrench can allowed to detect the yield point of
the fastener with reasonable precision.
4. Bolt stretch method. The method uses a small hydraulic ram which fits over the nut, the
threaded portion of the bolt/stud protrudes well past the nut and a threaded puller is attached.
5. Heat tightening. The bolt is heated and expands; the nut is indexed (using the angle of turn
method) and the system allowed to cool.
6. Use of tension indicating methods. This category includes the use of special load indicating
bolts, load indicating washers and the use of methods which determine the length change of
the fastener.
Class of friction surface.
Slip factor for pre-loaded bolts:
Class of friction
surface

Slip factor

0.50

0.40

0.30

0.20

Surface preparation
A1 Blast with shot of grit without pitting
A2 Blast cleaning or shot blasting and spray
metallized with Alluminium
A3 Blast cleaning or shot blasting, spray metalized
with a zin based c A pulverisation, and slippage test
Blast cleaning or shot blasting, with alkali-zinc
silicate paint with a thickness of 80 microns
Wire brushed or flame cleaning and removing all
scale or rust
Untreatment

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-6Lecture 3: Bolted connections.

Steel structures Laboratory

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TENSION CONNECTIONS PRELOADED OR NON - PRELOADED

tension connection external force direction is parallel to bolt axis.

In the tension joint, the bolt and clamped components of the joint are pre-load designed to
transfer the external tension load through the joint by way of the clamped components through
the design of a proper balance of joint and bolt stiffness. The joint should be designed such that
the clamp load is never overcome by the external tension forces acting to separate the joint

The forces within a connection which result from the deformation of the connected parts are
known as prying forces. In bolted tee-connections, these forces cause an increase in the tensile
load on the bolts.

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-7Lecture 3: Bolted connections.

Steel structures Laboratory

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1.3 FASTENERS OF THE THIN SHEET METAL (t< 3mm)

sheet metal screw - has sharp threads that cut into a material such as sheet metal, plastic or wood.
self-tapping machine screw - is driven into an untapped hole.
self-drilling screw - Teks screw - has a drill-shaped point to cut through the substrate to
eliminate the need for drilling a pilot hole.

plain rivet with two side access.

blind rivet - the rivet assembly is inserted into a hole drilled through the parts to be joined and a
specially designed tool is used to draw the mandrel into the rivet.

sheet metal nail designed to jointing sheet metal with solid steel elements and concrete.

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-8Lecture 3: Bolted connections.