Numerical and Experimental Comparisons for Modeling Procedures of Bolted and Riveted Connections

Abstract

The paper presents numerical procedures and experimental results for modeling spliced connections. The first part presents several tools that can be used by structural engineers to model the joint components. The load transfer between the joints components is illustrated. Recommendations and optimization strategies are proposed that can be used in practice by the engineers to economize the computer time of connections that contain large number of bolts. The computational efficiency and the modeling effort required for various modeling procedures are also discussed. Experimental results are presented to compare the accuracy of several modeling strategies that are commonly used in practice.

Keywords:

• Connections
• Stress analysis
• Joints
• Finite element
• Stiffened plates
• Aircraft fuselage