ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the concept of stiffness and at the related deflection of or strain in the bolt and joint members. As the length-to-diameter ratio of the bolt decreases, and the bolt becomes more and more short and stubby, assumption of effective length becomes more and more suspect. Theoretically, the relationship between applied compressive force and deflection for pair of blocks should be linear as long as the force stays within the elastic limit of the material. Gaskets are relatively soft bodies compared to other joint members; they have to be in order to do their job of plugging leak paths. Like everything else in bolting, furthermore, the behavior of gaskets is "scattered." The stress-deflection characteristics of one will differ from those of another, even if they are the same type of gasket and were made by the same manufacturer at the same time.
