Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005

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Tribology International
journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/triboint

Experimental study on behavior of time-related preload relaxation for

bolted joints subjected to vibration in different directions
Ying Li a, b, Zhifeng Liu a, b, *, Yuezhen Wang a, b, Ligang Cai a, b, Mingpo Zheng a, b
a
Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Intelligent Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China
b
Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The effect of preload relaxation caused by the mechanical vibration on loosening of bolted joints with self-
Bolted joint locking capability has been widely observed. This paper proposed a combination testing strategy involving
Torque coefficient tightening and relaxation to elucidate the loss mechanism of bolt preload. A logarithmic relationship between
Preload relaxation
torque coefficient and tightening torque is reported based on the results of fastening tests. Two types of specimen
Vibration
were designed to evaluate the preload relaxation under axial and transverse vibration. A time-varying model is
proposed for predicting the residual preload of bolts. An orthogonal test involving tightening torque, amplitude,
and frequency was conducted. The results show that the relaxation evolution of bolted joints subjected to vi­
bration is similar and can be divided into two stages.

1. Introduction
As one of the most important green design methods for connecting
structural components, bolted joints are widely utilized in mechanical,
building, and civil engineering fields. Compared with welding and
bonding, the significant advantages of bolted connections with strong
interchangeability are easy to both assemble and disassemble, as well as
high service reliability. However, a survey of engineering practices
shows that vibration is the most important factor influencing the preload
relaxation of bolted joints in rail transit equipment, machine tools, and
transmission tower [1–4]. In addition, the current antiloosening
methods still cannot avoid the relaxation of bolted joints subjected to
vibration. This behavior failure damages structural components, reduces
stiffness, and decreases accuracy. To monitor or measure the change in
pretightening force of bolted joints, direct or indirect methods using
impact modulation [5] or hybrid of high-order harmonics and spectral
sidebands [6] have been proposed. Nevertheless, these methods are
expensive and cannot achieve online monitoring in engineering appli­
cations. Therefore, it is essential to establish an empirical formula or
mathematical model for predicting the residual pretightening force of
bolts based on experiments or theories, especially for bolted joints for
long-term use and inconvenient inspection.
Cyclic load can be divided into axial and transverse vibrations
according to the relationship between load direction and bolt axis. The
relaxation mechanism of bolted joints subjected to vibration load has
been extensive studied. Goodier, Sweeney, and Sauer first studied the
effect of axial vibration on the preload relaxation of a bolt experimen­
tally [7,8]. They reported that the relative motion between the thread
surfaces is an important factor influencing the relaxation behavior of
bolted joints. A three-dimensional (3D) morphology of threaded surface
under cyclic axial loading was analyzed by Liu et al. [9–11]. It was found
that the pretightening force of bolts first increased and then decreased
due to the debris accumulation caused by fretting wear. Hess et al.
analyzed the relationship between initial preload and relaxation
behavior of bolted connections experimentally [12]. On this basis, Yang
et al. envisioned that the antiloosening performance of bolted joints can
be effectively improved by increasing the initial pretightening force
[13]. In fact, this approach increases the probability of plastic defor­
mation of bolts. Based on experiments and finite-element analysis, Liu
et al. and Nassar et al. concluded that the plastic deformation of bolted
connections under axial vibration easily leads to a decrease in preload
[9,14,15]. Therefore, the applicability of antiloosening measures pro­
posed by Yang et al. is restricted by the yield strength of bolts, gaskets,
and connected parts. A significant disadvantage of the experimental
method compared to theoretical analysis is that the results cannot be
generalized to all bolted joints. Therefore, theoretical models have been

* Corresponding author. Correspondign author: Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Intelligent Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing,
100124, China
E-mail address: zhifeng_liu8@126.com (Z. Liu).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2019.106005
Received 8 May 2019; Received in revised form 7 September 2019; Accepted 7 October 2019
Available online 9 October 2019
0301-679X/© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Y. Li et al.
Fig. 1. Specimen and device for tightening test. (a) Typical single-bolted joint, (b) Data acquisition system.
proposed to study the relaxation behavior of bolt preload under axial
vibration [12,16,17]. They indicated that the initial preload and surface
friction play an important role in preload relaxation.
A new experimental study by Junker showed that the effect of
transverse cyclic loading on the preload relaxation of bolted joints is
more significant [18]. Another major contribution of this study was the
invention of a testing platform. This machine was used to analyze the
relaxation mechanism of bolted connections subjected to transverse vi­
bration. Using the transverse vibration test apparatus, Hess and San­
clemente experimentally evaluated the effect of basic parameters such as
pretightening force, elastic modulus, nominal diameter, pitch, bolt hole,
and lubrication on the relaxation behavior of bolt preload [19]. They
reported the most important factors are bolt preload and material
elasticity. During transverse vibration, Pai and Hess studied the slip at
the head and thread contact regions [20,21]. Four different loosening
processes were reported according to the slip conditions, and analyzed
using a finite element method. On this basis, Jiang et al. established a 3D
finite element model of bolted flange joints to study the details of pre­
load relaxation [22]. However, they ignored the effect of elastic inter­
action between bolts. In addition, they divided the study result of Junker
into two stages: preload relaxation and relative rotation between bolt
and nut [23,24]. Zadoks and Yu developed a simulation model to
analyze the relaxation behavior of bolted joints under transverse exci­
tation [25]. Nassar et al. studied the effects of frequency, amplitude,
friction coefficient, thread tolerance, and hole diameter on preload
relaxation [26–28]. They found that the bolted joints working in a
transverse environment were more likely to relax under low or high
frequencies. Zhang et al. analyzed the relationship between surface wear
and preload relaxation experimentally, and proposed a numerical
method for calculating the critical load under transverse vibration
[29–31]. To improve the service life of bolted joints, many approaches
have been proposed for antiloosening. Bhattacharyad et al. studied the
effect of transverse vibration on the self-loosening of bolted connections
using different antiloosening methods [32]. They reported that the
attenuation curves of bolt preload were similar, and the antiloosening
characteristic of bolted joints with double nut was the best. Yang et al.
further analyzed the relaxation mechanism of double-nut-bolted con­
nections subjected to transverse vibration [33]. It was found that the
service life is longer when the ratio between the tightening torque of top
nut and bottom nut reaches 25%.
The relaxation mechanism of bolted joints subjected to a cyclic load
has been extensively studied, but a mathematical model or empirical
formula for accurately estimating the residual preload of a bolt has not
been proposed. In addition, the difference between the relaxation
behavior of bolted connections under axial vibration and that subjected
to dynamic transverse load has not been reported. To improve the
repeatability of preload-relaxation tests, in this paper, the torque coef­
ficient in tightening torque-preload relationship is first study. Two types
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Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005
of specimen with a single bolt are designed to simulate the axial and
transverse vibrations. An orthogonal test is performed because of sig­
nificant influence of transverse vibration on preload loss. The main
factors are amplitude, frequency, and initial tightening torque. The
study results provide a basis for the optimal design of bolted joints and
improvement of assembly quality.
2. Torque–preload relationship
As a valid control method for bolt preload, the torque method is
widely used in engineering assembly to reduce cost. Its working prin­
ciple is that the pretightening force can be obtained by using a torque
wrench applied to the nut, where the torque wrench sets a tightening
torque according to the design requirements. The tightening torque
during loading is mainly used to overcome two types of friction dissi­
pation: bearing friction between nut and clamped part, and thread
friction generated by the rotation of nut on bolt. Therefore, an accurate
mathematical model for characterizing torque–preload relationship can
be expressed as in Ref. [34]:
� μ �
T ¼ F0 0:159P þ 0:578μt d2 þ b dm (1)
2
where F0 is the assembly preload of bolted joints, P is the pitch, d2 is the
thread diameter, μt is the friction coefficient of thread surface, μb is the
friction coefficient in the nut-bearing area, dm is the average diameter
for friction moment at the bolt head or nut-bearing surface. The detailed
calculation can be found in VDI 2230 [35].
For a bolted joint with given geometric parameters, the torque factor
K and bolt nominal diameter d can be introduced in Eq. (1). Then, the
transformation equation can be expressed as follows:
T ¼ KF0 d (2)
By comparing Eqs. (1) and (2), the torque coefficient can be obtained
as follows:
0:159P þ 0:578μt d2 þ 0:5μb dm
K¼ (3)
d
It can be observed that the factors affecting torque coefficient are
geometrical parameters of thread and the friction coefficient. Conse­
quently, there is a difference in the choice of K. The reference range of
torque coefficient used in most relevant studies is 0.1–0.2. Conversely, it
is specified as 0.11–0.15 in GB/T 1231–91 [36]. In summary, the se­
lection of torque coefficient determines the dispersion degree of bolt
pretightening force and the assembly quality of bolted joints. To eluci­
date the relaxation mechanism of pretightening force of a stainless steel
bolt and the credibility of result, it is necessary to obtain a suitable
torque coefficient from the tightening tests.
A typical single-bolt joint consisting of a bolt, a gasket, connected
Y. Li et al. Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005

Table 1 members, and a nut was used in the fastening test to eliminate the effect
Testing bolt tightening process. of elastic interaction between bolts on preload relaxation. A schematic
Target torque (Nm) Tightening process (Nm) diagram of the bolted connection is shown in Fig. 1 (a). The test bolt
with a size of M16 � 80 is 304 stainless steel, and its performance grade
First step (75%) Second step (110%)
is A2. According to the ISO 3506-1-2009 standard, the tensile strength is
120 90 132 700 MPa, and the yield strength is 450 MPa [37]. A stainless steel gasket
130 97.5 143
140 105 154
with a thickness of 2 mm was used. The surface roughness of connected
150 112.5 165 member manufactured from a low-carbon steel plate is 1.6 μm. To
160 120 176 improve the reliability of results, six tightening tests were designed. The
170 127.5 187 frequency of each test is 20.
The torque method was used to control the pretightening force of a

Fig. 2. Distribution of bolt preload under different tightening torques. (a) T ¼ 120 Nm, (b) T ¼ 130 Nm, (c) T ¼ 140 Nm, (d) T ¼ 150 Nm, (e) T ¼ 160 Nm, (f)
T ¼ 170 Nm.

3
Y. Li et al.
Table 2
Mean value and standard deviation.
Tightening torque (Nm) Bolt preload (kN)
Mean value Standard deviation
120 27.942 0.4270
130 29.506 0.4361
140 30.58 0.4312
150 32.3 0.4339
160 33.782 0.4224
170 35.375 0.4294
Fig. 3. Torque coefficient variation curve.
bolt. According to EN 1090–2, the tightening process was divided into
two steps: First, 75% of the target torque was applied, and then the
torque was increased to 110% of the reference value by rotating the
torque wrench [38]. A digital torque wrench (BK-287022) with an ac­
curacy of �2% was used in this study. The measuring range is 20–200
Nm. The pretightening force applied on the nut was monitored in real
time using a load cell manufactured by Shanghai Forcechina Measure­
ment Technology Co., Ltd. Its type is FC-LW-150kN, and the accuracy is
0.5%. The data acquisition system consists of a power supply, a voltage
amplifier, a data acquisition card (Smacq-USB-4000), and an acquisition
software (DAQ Sensor), as shown in Fig. 1 (b).
According to Eq. (3), the torque coefficient is related to the friction
coefficient of bearing surface and thread surface when the geometric
parameters of a bolted connection are determined. The change in fric­
tion coefficient depends on the tightening torque. Therefore, the rela­
tionship between torque coefficient and fastening torque was evaluated
to obtain an accurate bolt preload. Based on the mathematical model of
bolt preload suggested by Handbook of Mechanical Design [39], the
range of reference torque with an increment of 10 Nm was set as
120–170 Nm. To eliminate the elastic rebound (VDI 2230), the nut was
tightened by utilizing the method proposed in EN 1090–2. The torque on
each step for test bolts with different Target torque was calculated, as
shown in Table 1.
The bolt preload was collected using the data acquisition system and
processed using MATLAB software, as shown in Fig. 2. In addition, the
mean value and standard deviation of pretightening force were calcu­
lated, as shown in Table 2. The results of Fig. 2 and Table 2 were derived
by neglecting some test data caused by the error of torque method. These
data are too large or too small. It is not difficult to observe that the
dispersion of bolt preload is small and essentially constant under
different tightening torques.
The torque coefficient was calculated by substituting the mean value
of bolt preload into Eq. (2). A curve was drawn by using the MATLAB
software to describe the relationship between tightening torque and
torque coefficient, as shown in Fig. 3. It can be observed that the in­
crease rate of torque coefficient gradually decreased with the increase in
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Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005
fastening torque.
To reveal the cause of change in torque coefficient, the effect of
parameters in Eq. (3) on this coefficient was analyzed. The geometric
parameters of thread were considered to be constant because the bolt
material has always worked in the elastic range. Therefore, it can be
concluded that the variation in torque coefficient mainly depends on the
friction coefficient of contact surface. It is assumed that there is no
relative rotation between the connected part and bolt head, gasket
during the tightening of bolted joints. The turning angle of nuts relative
to bolts increases with the increase in tightening torque, which increases
the friction coefficient of bearing surface (between nut and washer) and
thread surface. The evolution of friction coefficient of a threaded surface
has been studied [40]. Consequently, the friction coefficient of a bearing
surface will be analyzed in this section. The 3D topography of contact
surface between the nut and gasket was measured using a surface
topography instrument (ST400), as shown in Table 3.
Obviously, the depth and width of furrow in gasket surface gradually
increase with the increase in tightening torque. In addition, the surface
wear shows unevenness. This is because of friction coefficient jump
caused by the adhesion effect during dry friction. Based on the above
analysis, the contact area and arithmetic mean height (Sa) increase with
the aggravation in surface wear. Therefore, the relationship between
torque coefficient and tightening moment can be expressed as follows:
K ¼ 0:0932 lnðTÞ 0:1771 (4)
3. Tests on preload relaxation
3.1. Test sample
It is well known that the bolted joints in engineering structures are
often accompanied by preload relaxation, especially bolted connections
under vibration environment. Two types of vibration pattern were
defined by Hess. The vibration parallel to the direction of a bolt axis is
known as axial vibration. The vibration perpendicular to the bolt axis is
known as transverse vibration. The relaxation behavior of bolted joints
subjected to vibration will inevitably increase the maintenance costs.
To elucidate the relaxation mechanism of bolt preload under
different vibration modes, axial and tangential specimens with a single
bolt were developed, as shown in Fig. 4. The purpose of this specimen
was to eliminate the effect of nonuniform distribution of preload caused
by the elastic interaction between bolts on the loss of pretightening
force. Moreover, a hexagonal bolt was used in preload relaxation tests
because the sample has a larger space to work.
A2-70 stainless steel bolts with 16 mm nominal diameter were
selected to utilize the test results described in Section 2. In other words,
the pretightening force of bolts was precisely controlled. The tensile
strength is 700 MPa. The thread length was designed according to the
assembly requirements in GB/T 13682-92 standard: The distance be­
tween the thread end and bearing surface is at least four times the pitch,
and the length of exposed fastener end is at least one times the pitch. The
gasket is made of 201 stainless steel, and the thickness is 2 mm. Low-
carbon steel sheets with a thickness of 20 mm were used to fabricate
the connected parts. The roughness of surface is Ra 1.6. Considering the
height of load cell, the length of bolt was designed to be 80 mm.
3.2. Test scheme for preload relaxation
Three important factors affecting the preload relaxation of bolted
joints were considered in this section, such as the initial tightening
moment T, amplitude A, and frequency f. The control variates method
was applied to evaluate the evolution of pretightening force relaxation
of bolted joints subjected to transverse or axial vibration. On the other
hand, an orthogonal test scheme was designed to analyze the order of
primary and secondary factors. The flowchart of test set and procedure is
shown in Fig. 5.
Y. Li et al.
Table 3
Surface morphology under different tightening torques.
To establish a mathematical model for describing the preload
relaxation of bolted joints, a series of single-factor tests were designed,
as shown in Table 4. The vibration frequency was selected based on GB/
T 10431-2008 standard [41]. Test 1 is a control experiment, and the
conditions were set as follows: T ¼ 130 Nm, A ¼ 6 kN, f ¼ 6 Hz. Three
tests were set as follows: (1) T ¼ 140 Nm, A ¼ 6 kN, f ¼ 6 Hz; (2) T ¼ 130
Nm, A ¼ 8 kN, f ¼ 6 Hz; (3) T ¼ 130 Nm, A ¼ 6 kN, f ¼ 8 Hz. Compared
with Test 1, the effects of initial tightening torque, amplitude, and fre­
quency on the preload relaxation of a bolt were qualitatively analyzed.
According to the test scheme in Table 4, the relaxation behavior of
bolted connections under axial and transverse vibrations was evaluated.
As the main factor affecting the preload relaxation of assembly bolts
of engineering structures, the initial tightening torque, amplitude, and
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Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005
frequency were defined as independent variables in the orthogonal test.
The level of each variable is 5. Therefore, an orthogonal table was
selected to design the orthogonal test scheme, as shown in Table 5. The
relaxation degree of pretightening force was taken as the detection
index, which is defined as a dimensionless parameter: residual preload/
initial pretightening force.
An analysis of variance (ANOVA) can distinguish the data fluctuation
caused by the change in test conditions from that caused by test errors.
Therefore, this method is widely used to process test data. The corre­
lation equations are shown in Table 6. SA is the sum of deviation square
of test result related to the initial tightening moment. SB is the sum of
deviation square of test result related to the amplitude. SC is the sum of
deviation square of test result related to the frequency. Se is the sum of
Y. Li et al. Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005

Fig. 4. Single bolted joint. (a) Axial structure, (b) Transverse structure.

Fig. 5. Flowchart of preload relaxation test.

deviation square caused by changes in the factor level to that caused by

Table 4 error.
Single-factor tests under axial and transverse vibrations.
The total number of tests and the level number of each factor can be
No. Factor and level determined based on the test scheme. Consequently, three parameters
Initial tightening moment (Nm) Amplitude (kN) Frequency (Hz) can be easily obtained as follows: n ¼ 25, m ¼ 5, r ¼ 5.
Test 1 130 6 6
Test 2 140 6 6 4. Results and discussion
Test 3 130 8 6
Test 4 130 6 8 4.1. Single-factor tests

A series of single-factor influence tests described in Section 3 were

squares of test residuals. ST is the sum of total deviation square of nine
performed. A data acquisition system was used to achieve the real-time
groups of tests. r ¼ n/m is the repeat numbers of different levels. n is the
monitoring of bolt preload. The total number of cycles was 2.16 � 104 in
total number of tests, and m is the level number of each factor. ki rep­
each test, and the step size was 720. All the test data were processed
resents the sum of test results at the i level. F is the ratio of sum of mean
using MATLAB software. Ultimately, the relaxation curve and fitting

6
Y. Li et al. Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005

Table 5 initial tightening torque. This is because a large frictional force on the
Orthogonal test scheme. contact surface caused by a higher initial pretightening force limits the
No. Factor and level relative sliding between the components. The comparison results of
Tests 1 and 3 show that the preload of bolted joints with the same initial
Initial tightening moment (Nm) Amplitude (kN) Frequency (Hz)
tightening moment is more likely to lose when the amplitude of axial or
1 130 2 2 transverse vibration is increased. In contrast, the residual pretightening
2 130 4 4
3 130 6 6
force of bolted joints subjected to high-frequency vibration loading is
4 130 8 8 larger according to the results of Tests 1 and 4. This is mainly because
5 130 10 10 the long-term effect of low-frequency load increases the probability of
6 140 2 4 fretting slip and wear on the contact surface.
7 140 4 6
Based on the above analysis, we find that the relaxation degree of
8 140 6 8
9 140 8 10 bolt preload has a nonlinear proportional relationship with the ampli­
10 140 10 2 tude, and a nonlinear inverse relationship with the frequency. In addi­
11 150 2 6 tion, it is found that the relaxation behavior of bolted connections
12 150 4 8 subjected to axial vibration is similar to that under transverse vibration
13 150 6 10
14 150 8 2
by analyzing the fitting equation in Fig. 6. Therefore, a mathematical
15 150 10 4 model for predicting the residual pretightening force of bolted joints can
16 160 2 8 be expressed as follows:
17 160 4 10 �
18 160 6 2 FðtÞ ¼ F0 a � ebt þ c � edt (5)
19 160 8 4
20 160 10 6 where a, b, c, and d are undetermined coefficients.
21 170 2 10
22 170 4 2
23 170 6 4 4.2. Orthogonal test
24 170 8 6
25 170 10 8
In view of the significant effect of transverse vibration on the preload
relaxation of bolted joints, an orthogonal test was carried out, as shown
in Table 5. The degree of relaxation under the 2.16 � 104 cycles is shown
Table 6 in Table 8.
ANOVA table.
The sum of deviation square, mean-square error, and F values were
Source of variation Sum of deviation Freedom Mean-square F calculated using the equation shown in Table 6. The P-value of F-test is
square error
given when the confidences were set to 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 [42]. The
Initial tightening
SA ¼
1 Xm 2
k
m 1
VA ¼
SA VA evaluation criteria of significance level can be defined by comparing F
moment r i¼1 i m 1 Ve
1 X n
and Fα: high significance (**) if F > F0:01 ; significance (*) if
ð j¼1 Fj Þ2
F0:05 � F < F0:01 ; low significance ((*)) if F0:1 � F < F0:05 ; slight signifi­
n
Amplitude 1 Xm 2 m 1 SB VB cance ([*]) if F0:25 � F < F0:1 . The calculation results are shown in
SB ¼ k
i¼1 i
VB ¼
r m 1 Ve
1 Xn Table 9.
ð j¼1 Fj Þ2
n Table 9 shows that the primary and secondary factors affecting the
Frequency 1 Xm 2 m 1 SC VC
SC ¼ k
i¼1 i
VC ¼ pretightening force relaxation of bolted joints are the initial tightening
r m 1 Ve
1 Xn moment, amplitude, and frequency. To establish the relationship be­
ð j¼1 Fj Þ2
n tween the preload loss of bolts and influencing factors, a set of curves are
Residual error Se ¼ ST SA SB n 3m þ 1
SC 2
Ve ¼ drawn in Fig. 7. Clearly, the relaxation degree of bolt preload decreases
Se with the increase in the initial tightening moment, and the curve be­
n 3m þ 2 tween the tightening moment and residual preload of bolted joints
Sum P n 1
ST ¼ nj¼1 F2j shows an approximate logarithmic relationship. The nonlinear rela­
tionship between the amplitude and residual preload of a bolt indicates
1 X n
ð j¼1 Fj Þ2
n
that the pretightening force of bolted connections can be easily relaxed
owing to the high amplitude. In contrast, an interesting phenomenon
equation for assessing the residual preload of a bolt were established, as was observed by analyzing the effect of frequency on the relaxation
shown in Fig. 6. behavior of bolted joints: with the increase in frequency, the residual
The significance of influence of axial or transverse vibration on the pretightening force of a bolt first increases and then decreases. In other
relaxation behavior of bolted joints can be determined by a dimen­ words, the relaxation degree of pretightening force is the smallest when
sionless parameter known as the degree of relaxation. This parameter the frequency reaches a critical value.
represents the ratio of residual preload to the initial preload. Therefore,
the relaxation degree of bolt preload was calculated after the 2.16 � 104 5. Conclusions
cycles. On the other hand, the coefficient of determination was defined
to characterize the correlation between the fitting equation and exper­ A combination testing strategy involving tightening and relaxation is
imental data. The coefficient was obtained using MATLAB software. proposed in this study. The main findings and detailed conclusions are
According to the results of single-factor tests, the degree of relaxation summarized as follows:
and coefficient of determination were acquired, as shown in Table 7.
Based on the abovementioned results, the effect of different factors (1) A mathematical model for calculating the torque coefficient is
on preload relaxation was analyzed. A conclusion can be easily obtained proposed based on the logarithmic relationship between torque
from Fig. 6: The effect of transverse vibration on the preload loss of a coefficient and tightening moment. The presented model shows
bolt is more significant, consistent with the results of Junker and Sakai. that the torque coefficient increases with the increase in tight­
Combined with Fig. 6(a) and (b) and Table 7, it is not difficult to find ening torque. Moreover, the effect of friction coefficient of
that the service life of bolted joints can be improved by increasing the bearing surface on torque coefficient is reported.

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Y. Li et al. Tribology International 142 (2020) 106005

Fig. 6. Effect of different test conditions on the relaxation behavior of bolted joints. (a) Test 1: T ¼ 130 Nm, A ¼ 6 kN, f ¼ 6 Hz. (b) Test 2: T ¼ 140 Nm, A ¼ 6 kN,
f ¼ 6 Hz. (c) Test 3: T ¼ 130 Nm, A ¼ 8 kN, f ¼ 6 Hz. (d) Test 4: T ¼ 130 Nm, A ¼ 6 kN, f ¼ 8 Hz.

Table 7
Relaxation degree and coefficient of determination.
Test Axial vibration (%) Transverse vibration (%)

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Degree of relaxation 97.53 97.97 96.97 97.26 96.52 97.34 94.99 96.07
Coefficient of determination 98.74 97.8 98.95 99.03 98.22 95.22 99.86 98.87

Table 8
Result of orthogonal test.
No. Result (%) No. Result (%) No. Result (%) No. Result (%) No. Result (%)

1 97.11 2 97.31 3 96.52 4 93.98 5 92.04

6 99.08 7 98.81 8 97.3 9 96.67 10 95.42
11 99.2 12 98.96 13 98.53 14 97.85 15 97.46
16 99.28 17 99 18 98.33 19 98.78 20 97.76
21 99.41 22 99.11 23 98.9 24 98.5 25 98.13

(2) The relaxation behavior of bolted joints subjected to axial vi­
bration is similar to that of bolted connections excited by trans­
verse cyclic loading and can be divided into two stages. In
addition, the effect of transverse vibration on bolt preload loss is
more significant.
(3) A mathematical model for estimating the residual preload of bolts
under vibration load is proposed.
(4) Based on the results of orthogonal test, it was found that an
appropriate increase in the initial tightening torque or decrease in
vibration amplitude can improve the antiloosening effect of
bolted joints. The residual preload of bolted connections is the
largest when the frequency reaches a critical value.

8
Y. Li et al.
Table 9
Results of ANOVA.
Source of variation Sum of deviation square Freedom
Initial tightening moment 39.83 4 9.958
Amplitude 24.13 4 6.033
Frequency 4.71 4 1.178
Residual error 6.15 12
Sum 74.82
Fig. 7. Relationship curve between bolt preload and three different factors.
Acknowledgments
This research is supported by the National Natural Science Founda­
tion of China (No. 51575008), and Project funded by Beijing Municipal
Science and Technology Commission (No. K2001011201801).
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Mean square error F Fα Significance level
19.41 F0.01 ¼ 15.98 *
11.76 F0.05 ¼ 6.39 (*)
2.3 F0.1 ¼ 4.11 [*]
0.513 1
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