Stresses in single-lap bolted joints of thick plates are complex and difficult to analyze. Previous studies involving stresses through the thickness of bolted joints have been limited to Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations and have been implemented only for the joining of relatively thin plates. This paper reports on several experimental and numerical analyses that were conducted to analyze the stress distribution inside thick bolted plates along the bearing plane normal to the plate surface. Experimental analysis was conducted via embedded-polariscope photoelasticity and embedded resistance strain gages. The FEM analysis was performed with the Abaqus commercial code using material properties and other data obtained experimentally as input. Experimental and numerical results agreed reasonably well, and are believed to depict the behavior of the joint under load well enough to assist in development of improved joint design. Having established confidence in the numerical model, two alternative designs were analyzed with the objective of decreasing the value of the maximum stress. The first plate presented a steel bushing that lined the hole, and the maximum stress in that case was decreased by 50%. The second design had the edges of the hole chamfered at a 45-degree angle. This design did not exhibit a decrease in the maximum stress, but it did show an advantageous change in the position of the maximum stress.
展开▼
