Effects of Bolt Threads on the Stiffness of Bolted Joints

Abstract

Axisymmetric finite element analysis (FEA) was performed on bolted joints to determine the effects of the threads on the bolt and member stiffnesses. For steel members, the member stiffness decreased 37.1, 37.7, 38.2, 41.0, and 49.4 percent for the 24, 20, 16, 12, and 8-mm-dia bolts, as the magnitude of the external load was increased. The external load was increased from zero to the value that caused the bolt force to equal its proof strength. The member stiffness for aluminum members decreased by 22.7 and 29.9 percent for the 24 and 20-mm bolts. The cast iron members had decreases of 26.9 and 32.3 percent for the 24 and 20-mm bolts. Likewise, the aluminum/cast iron members decreased in stiffness by 25.5 and 30.0 percent for the 24 and 20-mm bolts. The member stiffness with no external load applied decreased by approximately 65 percent when changing from steel to aluminum members, 53 percent from steel to cast iron, and 60 percent from steel to aluminum/cast iron. Bolt stiffness varied less than 1.4 percent over the total range of the externally applied load for each of the bolted joint models. The decrease in bolt stiffness for the 24 and 20-mm-dia bolts was approximately 4 percent when changing from steel to aluminum members, 7 percent when changing from steel to cast iron members, and 8 percent when changing from steel to aluminum/cast iron members. Comparison is made to research results which did not include the influence of the threads.