Bolt–plate contact assemblies with prestress and external loads: Solved with super element technique

In dynamically loaded bolted assemblies fatigue is the designing factor. The primary quantity that controls the fatigue is the part of the external load that is transferred to the bolt, as described by the ratio between transferred load to external load. In an idealized setting this ratio can be expressed by a stiffness ratio between the plate members and the bolt. The ratio of transferred load is, however, highly dependent on the size and position of the external loading. The bolt–plate/member connection is modelled using the finite element technique. The modelling includes contact between bolt and members and between the clamped member plates. The modelling includes the prestress that is described by a single scalar value. This prestressed state is followed by an arbitrary external load case. In this paper a finite element technique with super elements is applied to solve the contact problem of the combined prestress and external load in an overall non-iterative way. The conclusions are that it is difficult to make general design rules but in most cases the standard calculation methods will underestimate the strength of the connections. However for some specific loading situations this might not be the case.