ABSTRACT
The first step in predicting how a bolted structure will respond to external loads is to identify a singly bolted joint for analysis. Loads on the joint are presumed to be known or to be determinable from statics or other forms of analysis. These loads are shared by the bolt and the clamped (or jointed) material. The designer is permitted to use any analytic method, including finite element or boundary element methods, or experimental methods (strain gages, ultrasonics) to determine how the external loads are distributed. Equations based on beam theory are provided for the default method of analyzing the behavior of the joint under loading. Multibolted joints are handled by discretizing the system into several singly bolted joints and analyzing each of them separately.
