Screen a bolted connection for possible shear, tension, bearing and plate tear-out failure modes using user-entered design demands and preliminary resistance values.
| Failure Mode | Demand | Resistance | Ratio | Status | Interpretation |
|---|
Bolt shear is screened by comparing the applied shear demand with the entered bolt shear resistance.
A ratio at or below the selected screening limit indicates that the entered demand does not exceed the entered resistance.
Bolt tension is screened by comparing the tensile demand with the entered tensile resistance.
Actual tensile resistance can depend on the bolt material, tensile stress area, thread geometry and applicable design standard.
Bearing failure is associated with localized deformation or crushing around the fastener hole.
The actual bearing resistance depends on plate thickness, material strength, hole diameter, edge distance, spacing and the governing design specification.
Tear-out can occur when material between the bolt hole and a plate edge does not provide adequate resistance.
The actual resistance depends strongly on edge distance, hole diameter, plate thickness, material strength and connection geometry.
The calculator also allows preliminary resistance values for net-section rupture and block shear to be screened.
These additional checks are displayed as screening items and should be evaluated using the complete connection geometry and applicable design provisions.
What failure modes does this calculator check?
It screens bolt shear, bolt tension, plate bearing, plate tear-out, net-section rupture and block shear using entered demands and resistances.
What does a ratio above 1.00 mean?
It means the entered demand exceeds the entered resistance under the selected screening limit.
Does it calculate the resistance automatically?
No. Resistance values are entered by the user because code-specific resistance calculations require detailed geometry, materials, connection configuration and design provisions.
Does bolt diameter affect failure modes?
Yes. Bolt diameter and hole diameter can affect shear, bearing, net-section and tear-out behavior, but this calculator does not derive those capacities automatically.
Does it check combined shear and tension?
It can display a configurable interaction screening value when a combined demand is entered, but this is not a substitute for the interaction equation required by the applicable design standard.
Can this be used for structural design?
It should only be used for preliminary screening. Final structural connection design requires a qualified engineering assessment using the governing standard.