Design of Steel Structures

CE F311
Instructor: Dr. Mohan S C
Limit State Design– Bolted Connection
BITS Pilani
Hyderabad Campus
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Limit State Design - Bolted
Connections
Learning Objective:
 Design and detail the bolted connections in steel structures

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Why Connection Failure
Should be Avoided?
 A connection failure may be lead to a catastrophic
failure of the whole structure
 Normally, a connection failure is not as ductile as that
of a steel member failure
 For achieving an economical design, it is important
that connectors develop full or a little extra strength of
the members, it is joining.
Connection failure may be avoided by adopting a higher
safety factor for the joints than the members.

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Classification of Connections

Method of fastening: rivets, bolts and welding.

Connection rigidity: simple, rigid or semi-rigid.
Joint resistance: Bearing connections and friction
connections
Fabrication location: Shop or field connections.
Joint location: Beam-column, beam-to beam,
column to foundation

Connections Rivets
https://www.youtube
Section 10, IS 800-2007 .com/watch?v=GUD
OlHqr72M&t=0m44s

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BOLTS AND BOLTING

How bolts and nuts are made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kxcw08p_oY
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BOLTS AND BOLTING x indicates one-
hundredth of the
Bolt Grade: Grade x.y, minimum ultimate
Bolt Types: Black, Turned & Fitted, High Strength Friction Grip tensile strength of
the bolt in N/mm2
Black Bolts: (IS 1363 -1992)
unfinished, Gr.4.6 usually y, indicates the ratio
made snug tight, of the yield stress to
ductile and cheap, ultimate stress
only static loads For Ex: Gr. 4.6
bearing type connections fu = 400 N/mm2
Turned & Fitted; (IS 1364 -1992) fy = 0.6*400
Gr.4.6 to 8.8, = 240 Nmm2
Close tolerance drilled holes,
0.2% proof stress
Expensive & used in Spl. jobs
HSFG Bolts: (IS: 3757-1985 and IS:4000 - 1992)
Gr.8.8 to 10.9,
less ductile,
excellent under dynamic/fatigue loads
Friction type connections BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Tensile Properties of Fasteners

DIMENSIONS OF THE BOLTS

M16,M20,M24 and M30 are often used in structural steel work
M – Metric
16,20,24… - Dia of Shank or Bolt Dia

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Dimensions of Grade 4.6-
Hexagon Head Bolts (IS 1364)

M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M

Sizes in Brackets not preferred.

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High-Strength Bolts (IS 3757)

Made from bars of medium carbon steel.

Bolts of property class 8.8 and 10.9 are commonly used.

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High-Strength Bolts (cont.)
 The material of the bolts do not have a
well defined yield point.
 Instead of using yield stress, a so-called
proof load is used.
 The proof load is the load obtained by
multiplying the tensile stress area
(approximately equal to 0.8 times the
shank area of bolt) by the proof stress.
 In IS:800 the proof stress is taken as
0.7 times the ultimate tensile stress of
the bolt.
IS 800:10.4.4 page 76

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Methods for tightening of HSFG bolts
1. Turn-of-nut tightening method: bolts are first
made snug tight and then turned by specific amounts (usually
either half or three-fourth turns) to induce tension equal to the
proof load.

2. Calibrated wrench tightening method: bolts

are tightened by a wrench calibrated to produce the required
tension.

3. Alternate design bolt installation:

special bolts are used which indicate the bolt tension.
Presently such bolts are not available in India

4. Direct tension indicator method: special

washers with protrusions are used. As the bolt is tightened,
these protrusions are compressed and the gap produced by
them gets reduced in proportion to the load. This gap is
measured by means of a feeler gauge, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Bolt Holes
Ref cl 10.2.1, Table 19 Clearances for Fastener Holes
Shank

 Bolt holes are usually drilled.

 IS: 800 allows punched holes only in materials whose yield stress
(fy) does not exceed 360 MPa and where thickness does not exceed
(5600/fy) mm.
 Bolt holes are made larger than the bolt diameter to facilitate
erection.
 Oversize holes should not exceed 1.25d or (d+8) mm in diameter,
where d is the nominal bolt diameter in mm.
 Slotted hole [provided to accommodate movements) should not
exceed 1.33d in length (for short slotted hole) and 2.5 d in length
(for long slotted hole).
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Bolt hole dia = Nominal Dia of Fastener + Clearances

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Pitch, Staggered holes & Gauge

Definition:
Gauge – Page 7
Pitch - Page 9
End Dist - Page 2
Edge Dist - Page 74

The edge distance should be

sufficient for bearing capacity
and to provide space for bolt
head, washer and nut.

A minimum spacing of 2.5 times the nominal diameter of the

fastener is specified in the code to ensure that there is sufficient
space to tighten the bolts, to prevent overlapping of the washers
and to provide adequate resistance to tear-out of the bolts.

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Terminology
Pitch (p)

Gauge (g)

Gauge (1.3.55)
The spacing between adjacent parallel lines of
fasteners, transverse to the direction of load/stress

Pitch or spacing (1.3.72)

The c/c distance between individual fasteners in a

line, in the direction of load/stress.
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Pitch (p) End Distance

Edge Distance

Gauge (g)

Edge Distance (1.3.33)

Distance from the centre of a fastener hole to the
nearest edge of an element measured perpendicular to
the direction of load transfer

End Distance (1.3.40)

Distance from the centre of a fastener hole to the edge
of an element measured parallel to the direction of load
transfer
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Code Provisions

Minimum Spacing Cl. 10.2.2

– Not less than 2.5x Nominal Dia of Fastner

To ensure that sufficient space is left to tighten the bolts,

prevent overlapping of the washers and provide adequate
resistance to tear-out of the bolts

Maximum Spacing CL. 10.2.3

Maximum pitch criteria takes care of buckling of the plies under compressive
loads.

Cl 10.2.3..1 in general - 32 t or 300mm whichever is less

t= thickness of thinner plate

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CL 10.2.3.2
in Tension members
- 16 t or 200 mm whichever is less ,t = thickness of
thinner plate

< = 16t or 200 mm

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CL 10.2.3.3
in Compression members
- 12 t or 200 mm whichever is less ,t = thickness of
thinner plate

< = 12t or 200 mm

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CL 10.2.4.2
Minimum Edge and End Distance shall not be less
than

1.7 x Bolt Hole dia – sheared or Hand

flame cut edges

1.5 x Bolt Hole dia – rolled ,or

Machine flame cut edges ..
CL 10.2.4.3

Maximum Edge and End Distance shall not be more

than values specified
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Advantages of
Bolted connections
 Bolted connections offer the following
advantages over riveted or welded
connections:
 Use of unskilled labour and simple tools
 Noiseless and quick fabrication
 No special equipment/process needed for installation
 Fast progress of work
 Accommodates minor discrepancies in dimensions
 The connection supports loads as soon as the bolts are
tightened (in welds and rivets, cooling period is
involved).
 Main drawback of black bolt is the slip of the
joint when subjected to loading
 Use of HSFG bolts will overcome slip
problems
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Load-Deformation Behaviour of Different
Types of Fasteners

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Typical Bolted Connections

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Force Transmission Through Bolts
(Trahair et al, 2001)

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Possible Failure Modes
Shear tear out
Use larger diameter
increasing the
bolt, higher grade of
edge distance
bolt or more bolts.
or reducing the
bolt diameter

increasing the
plate
thickness,
use a higher
grade of steel
Use High Grade Bolt or using larger
diameter bolts

Increase plate thickness

Use High Grade Bolt

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Possible Failure Modes
Bolted connections

Gross section Yielding Net Section Rupture Block shear

both tension (i.e.

Good to always Provide Minimum normal to the force)
design section to Spacing, Increase and shear
undergo yield without Dia of Bolt. There are frequently
other type failures Compute Tension multiple valid failure
For higher loads capacity of plate paths that must be
choose bigger cross investigated.
section BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Block shear
A

B C

Tension Capacity =Shear Capacity of AB+ Tension

Capacity of BC

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Failure modes of bolted
connections in tension members

Block shear Net section

End tearing
Increase end distance
Block shear Net section BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Shear Design of Bolts - CL 10.3.2

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Shear Capacity of Bolt: CL10.3.3

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Reduction factors for long Joints
The distribution of load between the bolts
in a joint depends on the length, the
relative cross-sectional areas of the joined
plates, the bolt pitch and the shear
deformation capacity of the bolts and their
immediately surrounding plate

CL 10.3.3.1 – Long Joints

CL 10.3.3.2 - Large grip lengths
CL 10.3.3.3 – Packing Plates

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Bearing Capacity of Bolt – CL 10.3.4
Yielding due to pressure between the bolt shank and plate
material may result in excessive deformation of the plate
around the bolt hole and possibly some distortion of the
bolt.

The area resisting the bearing pressure is

assumed to be the product of the plate thickness
and the nominal bolt diameter.

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Problem 1

Design a lap joint for a connection shown below to

transfer a factored load of 70kN using M16 bolts
of 4.6 grade and 410 grade plate

Ans: See Class Notes

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Problem 2
Design a double butt joint between two plates of
65 mm x 8mm thick are connected as shown.
Design the joint to transmit a factored tensile load
= 45kN using black bolts of 16mm diameter and
4.6grade.Plates are Fe 410 grade steel,

8 mm thick

Cover Plates
Ans: See Class Notes

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Problem 3
For Problem 2 design bolts to transmit a factored
tensile load = 90kN using black bolts of 16mm
diameter and 4.6grade.Plates are Fe 410 grade
steel,

Ans: Two number of bolts each side as shown below

e= p= e= e= p= e= 8 mm thick
27mm 40mm 27mm 27mm 40mm 27mm
Cover Plate 6mm

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Problem 4
Design a double butt joint between two plates of 180 mm x
8mm thick are connected as shown. Design the joint to
transmit a factored tensile load = 150kN using black bolts of
16mm diameter and 4.6grade.Plates are Fe 410 grade steel,
Ans: Three number of bolts each side as shown below

40 mm 40 mm

50 mm 50 mm

50 mm 50 mm

40 mm 40 mm

8 mm thick

Cover Plates 6 mm BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Problem 5– Double Cover Butt Joint

Design a double butt joint between two plates of 65 mm x 12mm

and 65 mm x 8mm are connected as shown. Design the joint to
transmit a factored tensile load = 90kN using black bolts of 16mm
diameter and 4.6grade.Plates are Fe 410 grade steel,
12 mm thick
Cover Plates

Packing plate = 4mm thick

8mm thick

Cover Plates

Ans: See Class Notes

Hint: IS :800, Cl-10.3.3.3
Packing plate is less than 6 mm, so correction not required for Vdb
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Problem 6– Double Cover Butt Joint

Design a double butt joint between two plates of 65 mm x 20mm

and 65 mm x 12mm are connected as shown. Design the joint to
transmit a factored tensile load = 90kN using black bolts of 16mm
diameter and 4.6grade.Plates are Fe 410 grade steel,
12 mm thick
Cover Plates

Packing plate = 8mm thick

12mm
thick

Cover Plates

Ans:
Hint: IS :800, Cl-10.3.3.3
Packing plate is grater than 6 mm, so correction required for Vdb
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Problem 7

Two plates 10 mm and 18 mm thick are to be jointed

by means of
a) Single Cover Butt joint b) Double cover Butt Joint
Design the joint for the following :
Factored load = 600 kN (Tension)
Bolt Dia = 20 or 24 mm
Grade of Steel plates = Fe 410
Grade of Bolts = 4.6
Cover plates = 8 mm thick
What difference you notice among two types of connections ?

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Problem 8

• A 100 mm Diameter (Clear) pipe is to be made

with 4mm thick plates. Design a suitable bolted
lap connection in circumferential per pitch length
to withstand 20% of pipe Axial load carrying
capacity. The grade of plate is Fe250 and grade
of bolt is 4.6. Also calculate the efficiency of the
joint. Assume no bearing failure of both bolt and
plate.
• Efficiency of the joint = (Bolt Strength/Original Strength of the plate )x 100

Overlap

Ans: See Class Notes

e p BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Class Test 2
• A Double angle section ISA 150 x 150 x 15 mm is
connected to 16 mm thick gusset plate as shown
below. Determine the service load, the
connection can carry on the basis of shear and
bearing strength. The bolts are of 4.6 grade & 24
mm in diameter.
A

e= 40 mm
P = 70 mm P (kN)
e= 40mm Section A-A

e p p pe
e= 50 mm p= 75 mm Ans: 695.62 kN
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Tensile capacity of Bolts as per IS 800:

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Bolt Subjected to Combined Shear and Tension

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Slip-Critical Connections (HSFG)
When to Use ?
– stress reversal, heavy impact loads, severe vibration
– joint slippage affects the serviceability of the structure
– Joints with oversized holes or slotted holes
– Joints where welds and bolts share in transmitting load
– Joints in axial tension or combined axial tension and shear
Behaviour
Slip-critical bolted connections can fail in two ways:
• slip at the connection;
• bearing failure of the connection

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Slip-Critical Connections (HSFG)

When the external force exceeds the frictional

resistance the plates slip until the bolts come into
contact with the plate and start bearing against the
hole.

Beyond this point the external force is resisted by

the combined action of the frictional resistance
and the bearing resistance.

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Slip-Critical Connections (HSFG)

Design Basis
Slip-critical connection must be designed to:

1. resist slip at Service / Ultimate Loads and

2. resist bearing / shear at strength limit states

The HSFG connections are designed such that

under service load the force does not
exceed the frictional resistance so that the
relative slip is avoided during service.

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Force Transfer Mechanism
Slip-critical bolted connections can be installed with such a
degree of tightness resulting in large tensile forces in the bolt
and clamp the connected plates together.

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Slip-Critical Connections (HSFG)

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Slip-Critical Connections (HSFG)

Slip-critical connections resist the shear force using friction.

– If the applied shear force is less than the friction force that develops
between the two surfaces, then no slip will occur between them
Slip resistance CL 10.4.3

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Slip-Critical Connections (HSFG)

Capacity after Slipping CL 10.4.4

When friction type bolts are designed not to slip only

under service loads, the design capacity at ultimate load
may be calculated as per bearing type connection
(see 10.3.2 and 10.3.3).

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Slip-Critical Connections (HSFG)

HSFG bolts are of Grades 8.8 to 10.9

The most common is Grade of 8.8

yield stress fyb =640 Mpa and ultimate stress fub =800 Mpa

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Problem 9

Evaluate resistance of the bolted connection of a tie,

shown in Fig. with the slip on the ultimate limit state.
The steel is Grade Fe 410. The bolts M 20, Grade 8.8, are
preloaded

Ans: Resistance of four bolts on each side = 495.2 kN

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Tensile capacity of HSFG Bolt as per IS 800:
10.4.5

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HSFG Bolt Subjected to Combined Shear and
Tension as per IS 800: 10.4.6

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Failure Modes Due to
Prying Forces
2T
lv
B le

Q Q
T+Q T+Q
P
Rigid bar

P+Q

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Failure Modes Due to Prying Forces
IS800: 10.4.7

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Problem 10
The joint shown in fig has to carry a factored load of 180kN. End
plate used is of size 160 mm x 40 mm x 16 mm. The bolts used
are M20 HSFG of grade 8.8. Check whether the design is safe.

8 mm weld

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More Problems for Practice

 Solved problems in class (using blackboard)

 Example Problems: TB: Ch.10
 Examples: 10.2 to 10.10
 Exercise Problems: TB: Ch.10
 Questions: 1 to 9

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THANK YOU!
References
• N Subramanian – Steel Structures
• Nptel

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BITS Pilani
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Reference Slides, if any