ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS

• When bolt groups are loaded by some external load that does not act
through the center of gravity of the group, the load is said to be eccentric. It
will tend to cause a relative rotation and translation of the connected parts,
and the individual bolts will have unequal loads induced in them.
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• The bolt group may be analyzed by resolving the eccentric load P into a
concentric load acting through the centroid of the bolt group and a
torsional moment M equal to Pe.
•The moment acts wrt the centroid of the bolt group as the center of
rotation. Hence, the forces acting on the bolts will be made up of two
components: Qv due to the axial effect of the concentric load and Qm due
to the torsional moment effect as shown.
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
•Qv will be the same for all bolts and may be taken as P divided by the
number of bolts (n):
P
Qv 
n
• Qm will vary with the distance r from the center of gravity of the bolt
group to the bolt and will act in a direction normal to a line from the bolt
to the center of gravity.
• The connection must be designed so that the resultant of these two
components acting on any bolt does not exceed the maximum permissible
bolt capacity as determined by shear or bearing.
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• Qm may be determined by applying the classical torsional stress formula
for circular members to the bolt group:

Mr
fv 
J
where :
f v  shear stress in any bolt
M  torsional moment  Pe
r  radial distance from center of gravity of bolt group to any bolt
J  polar moment of inertia  Ar 2
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• In the expression for polar moment of inertia, A represents the cross‐
sectional area of one bolt. Since all bolts in any given connection will have
the same area, and since r2 may be expressed in terms of x and y
coordinates,
    
J  A x 2  y 2  A x 2  y 2  A x 2  y 2 
• The torsional stress formula then becomes
Mr
fv 

A x 2  y 2 
•Multiplying both sides of the equation by A, the torsional load Qm on any
bolt is
Mr
f v A  Qm 
x 2  y 2
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• It is generally convenient to resolve the Qm force into vertical and
horizontal components and then add the Qv force to obtain the resultant
force on the bolt.
• Usually, the bolt most remote from the group center of gravity and on the
load side will be subjected to the critical load and will determine the
adequacy of the connection.
Example 1
For the eccentrically loaded bolted connection shown, determine the
forces acting on the most critical bolt. Assume ¾‐in‐diameter A325N bolts
in standard holes. The applied load is 10,000 lb.
Example 1
Solution:

1. Torsional moment
M  Pe  10,000(10)  100,000 in - lb
2. Polar moment of inertia (divided by A)
x 2  6(3) 2  54 in 2
y 2  4(4) 2  64 in 2
J
 x 2  y 2  118 in 2
A
3. Torsional load on the critical bolt
Mr 100,000(5)
Qm    4235 lb
x  y
2 2
118
Example 1
Solution:
4
4. Horizontal component of Q m  4235   3388 lb
5
3
Vertical component of Q m  4235   2541 lb
5
5. Force on each bolt due to the 10,000 - lb load applied at the c.g.
P 10,000
Qv    1667 lb
n 6
6. Resultant force R on the critical bolt
R 2  1667  2541  33882
2

R  5402 lb
Example 2
Find the maximum load P that can be supported by the bracket shown.
Column and bracket are A36 steel. Use 7/8‐in‐diameter A325SC
high‐strength bolts having a capacity of 10.2 kips in single shear. Assume
that the column flange and bracket are thick enough so that single shear in
bolts will control.
Example 2
Solution:

1. Torsional moment
M  Pe  16 P in - lb
2. Polar moment of inertia (divided by A)
x 2  12(2.75) 2  90.75 in 2
y 2  4(1.5) 2  4(4.5) 2 4(7.5) 2  315 in 2
J
 x 2  y 2  405.8 in 2
A
3. Torsional load on the critical bolt
Mr 16 P (7.99)
Qm    0.315 P
x  y
2 2
405.8
Example 2
Solution:
 7 .5 
4. Horizontal component of Q m  0.315 P   0.269 P
 7.99 
 2.75 
Vertical component of Q m  0.315P   0.108 P
 7.99 
5. Force on each bolt due to the load P applied at the c.g.
P P
Qv    0.083P
n 12
6. The resultant force R on the critical bolt cannot exceed
the capacity of one bolt in single shear :10.2 kips.
R 2  0.191P   0.296 P 
2 2

R  0.352 P
from which
0.352 P  10,200 lb
P  28,980 lb
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• When an eccentrically applied load lies outside the plane of the
connection, the eccentric load tends to separate the bracket from the
column flange at the top and press the bracket against the flange at the
bottom.
• The bolts are subjected to a varying and decreasing tensile force from the
top down to the neutral axis. The bolt is also placed in shear by the vertical
effect of the eccentric load.
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• An assumption is made that the neutral axis (N.A.) lies at the center of
gravity of the bolt group. Further, it is assumed that the tensile stress
distribution above the N.A. varies linearly from zero at the N.A. to a
maximum at the bolt farthest from the N.A.

Mc Pec
ft  
I I
where :
f t  tensile stress in the farthest bolt
P  applied eccentric load
c  distance from the N.A. to the center of the most distant bolt
I  moment of inertia of the bolt areas
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• Allowable Stresses
Shear
Fastener Description Tension Friction Bearing Remarks
A502, Grade 1 hot 20 15 Formerly A141
driven
A502, Grade 2 hot 27 15 Formerly A195
driven
A307, bolts 20 15 10 Applied to tensile
area
A325, A449 bolts 40 15 15 Applied to normal
bolt area
A325, A449 excluded 40 20 22 Applied to normal
bolt area
A490, not excluded 54 20 22.5 Static only
A490, excluded 54 32 Static only
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
• Shear stress P
fv 
nAb
where :
n  total number of bolts
A b  cross - sectional area of one bolt
ECCENTRIC ALLY LOADED BOLTED CONNECTIONS
Example 3
The bracket in the connection shown is a structural tee. P = 25 kips and
e = 12”. Determine if the connection is satisfactory assuming
¾‐in‐diameter A325N bolts in two vertical rows. The bolts are in standard
holes spaced 3” vertically. Assume that the column and bracket are
adequate.
Example 3
Solution:
1. Moment of inertia of the bolts about the N.A.
 
I   A b d 2  40.44181.5  40.44184.5  39.8 in 4
2 2

2. Actual shear stress

 7.07 ksi  Fv  22ksi 

25
fv 
8(0.4418)
3. Actual tensile stress in the top bolt
Pec 25(12)(4.5)
ft    33.9 ksi
I 39.8
F t 442  4.39 fv 2  41.4 ksi