Areas of Contact and Pressure Distribution in Bolted Joints

Abstract

The pressure distribution in the contact zones and the radii at which flat and smooth axisymmetric, linear elastic plates will separate were computed for several thicknesses as a function of the configuration of the bolt load by the finite element method. The radii of separation were also measured by two experimental methods. One method employed autoradiographic techniques. The other method measured the polished area around the bolt hole of the plates caused by sliding under load in the contact zone. The computational and experimental results are in agreement and these yield smaller zones of contact than indicated by the literature. It is shown that the discrepancy is due to an assumption made in the previous analyses.