Examining the effects on a fatigue life of preloaded bolts in flange joints : an overview

Okorn, Ivan (author), Nagode, Marko (author), Klemenc, Jernej (author), Oman, Simon (author)

The amplitude of a bolt load in dynamically loaded bolted flange joints depends on several factors: the resilience of the bolt and the clamping parts, the magnitude of the working load, the point of action of the working load, the way the working load is transferred from the structure to the bolt, the preload, and the geometrical imperfections of the contact surfaces of the joint. These factors are analysed in many papers, and they are covered in the VDI 2230 guideline and in standards. Fatigue curves (S-N curves) of bolts are determined by tests in which an ideal axial load is usually applied to the bolts. The effects of the bolt strength class, the thread manufacturing process, the surface protection, and the cross-section size on the fatigue strength of bolts are precisely defined. The main problem in the evaluation of bolted joints is the calculation of the actual stress, which is compared with the fatigue curves. Despite extensive research, fatigue-related bolt failures still occur in practise. This article provides a systematic overview of the influences that affect the fatigue of bolts. The conclusions are based on the research results of many authors and on our own analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations. The effects are illustrated using two practical examples of flange bolting. The assessment of fatigue according to Eurocode 3 and the VDI 2230 guideline is discussed in more detail.

• Language: English
• Keywords: flange joint, preload, working load, bolt fatigue life, geometrical flange imperfections
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 29 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, iss. 8, art. 883
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-160036
• UDC: 620.178.3:519.61
• ISSN on article: 2075-4701
• COBISS.SI-ID: 203986435
• Publication date in RUL: 09.08.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Metals
• Shortened title: Metals
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2075-4701
• COBISS.SI-ID: 15976214

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: prirobnična zveza, prednapetje, delovna obremenitev, življenjska doba vijaka, geometrijske napake prirobnic

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0182
• Name: Razvojna vrednotenja