Development of a Connector Element for Single-Bolted, Single-Lap Joint Under Flexion-Torsion

摘要

In this research, analytical, numerical and experimental methods were used to develop and investigate a connector element for a bolted joint under a tensile load. In the experimental part of the research, various mechanical solicitations (tensile, torsion and shear tests) were applied to steel bolted connections in different configurations having multiple columns and either a single or multiple rows. In the numerical method, to determine the stress and strain distributions due to tensile load forces in specimens, ABAQUS software was used to generate 3D finite element models to compare with our results. However, our analytical solution, which leads to realization of the stiffness matrix under the Rayleigh-Ritz hypothesis, permits us to replace a bolted connection with a simpler connective element and thus to deduce the most intensely loaded zones. Numerical simulation, analytical studies and experimental studies showed coherent results for different configurations, emphasizing the importance of our developed connector for bolted joints. This allows reduction of the time required for calculations.