CISC Steel Design Series

Module 2
Bolt Groups Subjected
to an Eccentric and Inclined Point Load

L P

b
b

e
b

SDS-2-R1 www.cisc-icca.ca
August 2017 CA N A D IA N I N S T ITU TE O F S T EEL C ON ST RU C TI ON
info@cisc-icca.ca
IN STIT U T C A N A D IEN D E LA C O N ST RU CT IO N EN A CI ER
 Copyright 2017
Canadian Institute of Steel Construction

CISC Steel Design Series SDS-2-R1

July 2017
Revised August 2017
ISBN 978-0-88811-213-2

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced

in any form whatsoever without the prior permission of the publisher.

This Steel Design Series is prepared and published by the Canadian Institute of Steel
Construction as part of a continuing effort to provide current and practical information for
educators, designers, fabricators and others interested in the use of steel in construction.
The information contained in this publication incorporates recognized engineering principles
and practices and is believed to be accurate. Neither the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction
nor its authors assume responsibility for errors or oversights in its contents or for the use of the
information contained herein in whole, in part or in conjunction with other publications or aids.
The information should not be used or relied upon for any specific application without competent
professional examination and verification of its accuracy, suitability and applicability by a licensed
professional engineer or architect. Anyone making use of the contents assumes all liability arising
from such use. Suggestions for improvement of this publication will receive full consideration for
future printings.
 MODULE 2
BOLT GROUPS SUBJECTED TO AN ECCENTRIC AND INCLINED POINT LOAD
1. Introduction
Module Two of the Steel Design Series (SDS-2) aims to aid engineers in determining the
resistance of bolt groups subjected to an eccentric and inclined point load. The Handbook of Steel
Construction, 11th Edition, contains tables of Eccentric Loads on Bolt Groups for vertically applied
loads. Tables 3-14 to 3-20 provide values of the coefficient, C, for bolt groups with one to four
vertical rows of bolts. The bolt group resistance is given by:
Pf = C Vr
where Vr is the factored shear resistance of a single bolt according to CSA S16-14 Clause
13.12.1.2(c).
The charts below are intended to supplement the Handbook tables and provide values of C
for one and two vertical rows of bolts and for load directions within 90o of the vertical. Resistances
are given for values of the distance, L, defined as the horizontal distance between the bolt group
centroid and the point of intersection of the horizontal line through the centroid and the line of
application of the inclined load (See Figures).
Values of L range from 50 to 700 mm (depending on the bolt configuration), and are related
to the eccentricity, e, according to the equation:
e = L cos
where is the angle between the load direction and the vertical.
Resistances have been calculated using the instantaneous centre of rotation method
(Crawford and Kulak, 1971) for bearing-type joints with A325 bolts. Although the coefficients C
may vary slightly for connections involving A490 bolts, it has become the practice to provide only
one set of values for bolt groups consisting of A325 or A490 bolts (Kulak et al., 1987). The values
of C provided herein correspond to the ultimate strength of bearing-type bolted joints, although
they may be conservatively used for slip-critical joints:
P = C Vs
where Vs is the slip resistance of a single bolt according to Clause 13.12.2.2.
Other aspects of the design of bolted joints, such as the resistance of the bolted parts, are
beyond the scope of SDS-2. Charts have been chosen over tables because the curves are concave
up. Since tables can only cover a finite set of discrete angles, linear interpolation of C-values for
angles other than those tabulated always errs on the unconservative side and, in some cases,
interpolated values are grossly unconservative.

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION 1

2. Figures
Three sets of charts are provided on the following pages. For all bolt configurations, the bolt
pitch, b = 80 mm.

Figures Bolt Configuration

L L
P

80 80 80
80 80 80
Figures 1a to 1f e
Single vertical row e
of 2 to 7 bolts

P

L P L

Figures 2a to 2e

80 80 80
80 80 80

e
Two vertical rows
of 2 to 6 bolts e

Gauge, D = 80 mm

D D P

L P L

Figures 3a to 3e
80 80 80

80 80 80

Two vertical rows e

e
of 2 to 6 bolts
Gauge, D = 160 mm
D

D P

3. References
Crawford, S.F., and Kulak, G.L. 1971. Eccentrically loaded bolted connections. ASCE Journal of the
Structural Division, 97(ST3), March.
Kulak, G.L., Fisher, J.W., and Struik, J.H.A. 1987. Guide to design criteria for bolted and riveted
joints, 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons.

2 CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

 2.0

Figure 1a
1.8 1 vertical row of 2 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs

1.6

1.4

L = 50 mm
1.2

60

C 1.0
75

0.8
100

125
0.6
150

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

200
0.4

300
400
0.2

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

3
T (degrees)
4
3.0

Figure 1b
1 vertical row of 3 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
2.5

L = 50 mm

60

2.0
75

100
C 1.5

125

150

175
1.0
200

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

250

300

0.5 400
500

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)
 4.0

3.5
L = 50 mm

60

3.0
75

100
2.5

125

C 2.0
150

175

200
1.5

250

300

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

1.0
400

500

0.5 Figure 1c
1 vertical row of 4 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

5
T (degrees)
6
5.0

L = 50 mm
60

4.0 75

100

125

3.0
150

175
C
200

2.0 250

300

400

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

500
1.0
600

Figure 1d
1 vertical row of 5 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)
 6.0

L = 50 mm
60
75
5.0

100

125
4.0
150

175

200
C 3.0

250

300

2.0
400

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

500

600

1.0
Figure 1e
1 vertical row of 6 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

7
T (degrees)
8
7.0

L = 50 mm

60
75
6.0

100

125

5.0
150

175

200
C 4.0

250

300
3.0

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

400

2.0 500

600 Figure 1f
1 vertical row of 7 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
1.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)
 4.0

Figure 2a
2 vertical rows
3.5
Gauge, D = 80 mm
Group of 4 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
3.0

L = 50 mm

2.5 60

75

C 2.0
100

125
1.5
150

175
200

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

1.0 250
300

400

0.5 500

600

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

9
T (degrees)
 6.0

10
5.0

L = 50 mm

60

4.0 75

100

C 3.0 125

150

175

200
2.0
250

300

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

400 Figure 2b
1.0 500
2 vertical rows
600
Gauge, D = 80 mm
Group of 6 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)
 8.0

7.0
L = 50 mm

60

6.0 75

100
5.0

125

150
C 4.0
175

200

3.0
250

300

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

2.0 400

500 Figure 2c
2 vertical rows
1.0 600
Gauge, D = 80 mm
Group of 8 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

11
T (degrees)
 10.0

12
9.0 L = 50 mm

60

8.0 75

100
7.0

125

6.0
150

175
C 5.0
200

250
4.0
300

3.0
400

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

500
2.0 Figure 2d
600
2 vertical rows
Gauge, D = 80 mm
1.0
Group of 10 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)
 12.0

11.0 L = 50 mm
60
75
10.0

100
9.0

125

8.0
150

7.0 175

200

C 6.0
250

5.0 300

4.0 400

500

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

3.0
600
700 Figure 2e
2.0
2 vertical rows
Gauge, D = 80 mm
1.0 Group of 12 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

13
T (degrees)
 4.0

14
Figure 3a
2 vertical rows
3.5 Gauge, D = 160 mm
Group of 4 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs

L = 50 mm
3.0

60

75
2.5

100
C
125
2.0

150

175

1.5 200

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

250

300

1.0
400

500
600

0.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)
 6.0

5.0
L = 50 mm

60

75

4.0
100

125

150
C 3.0
175

200

250

2.0 300

400

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

500
600
Figure 3b
1.0
2 vertical rows
Gauge, D = 160 mm
Group of 6 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

15
T (degrees)
 8.0

16
7.0
L = 50 mm

60

75
6.0

100

5.0 125

150

175
C 4.0
200

250

3.0 300

400

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

2.0 500

600
Figure 3c
2 vertical rows
1.0 Gauge, D = 160 mm
Group of 8 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)
 10.0

9.0 L = 50 mm
60
75
8.0

100

7.0
125

150
6.0
175

200
C 5.0
250

4.0 300

400
3.0
500

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

600
2.0 Figure 3d
700
2 vertical rows
Gauge, D = 160 mm
1.0
Group of 10 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

17
T (degrees)
 12.0

18
11.0 L = 50 mm
60
75
10.0

100

9.0
125

8.0 150

175

7.0 200

C
6.0 250

300
5.0

400
4.0

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

500

600 Figure 3e
3.0
2 vertical rows
700 Gauge, D = 160 mm
2.0 Group of 12 bolts
C = Pf / Vr or P / Vs

1.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

T (degrees)