Abstract
Few investigations have been carried out on the characteristic of a bolted joint with tap bolts subjected to external bending moments. In this paper, the characteristics of a T-flange connection with tap bolts, including a full face metallic gasket or a filler plate, are examined. For analysis, a T-flange, gasket (filler plate) and base were replaced with finite strips. Contact stress distribution, the force ratio for the external bending moment (the relationship between an increment (decrement) of the bolt axial force and the external bending moment) and the maximum stress produced in the bolts are analyzed using a two-dimensional theory of elasticity. Furthermore, the characteristics of a circular flange connection are estimated by using the two-dimensional model. For verification, experiments were performed with respect to the force ratio for the external bending moment, contact stress distribution and the maximum stress in the bolt. Analytical results are in fairly good agreement with experimental ones.
