BOLTED CONNECTIONS

Behaviour of Bolts vs Nails

Nailed connections Bolted connections
Nails part fibres no Holes drilled break
discontinuity of fibres wood fibres
Small diameter fastener Large diameter fastener
flexibility rigidity
Force transfer by bearing Force transfer by bearing
and friction only
Many small fasteners A few large fasteners
low load per unit area high load per unit area
Over large area less Smaller area stress
stress concentration concentration
Characteristic bolt capacity
Joint strength group
of the timber Qkl
(J1 to J6 and JD1 to JD6)
- timber strength Qkp
Diameter of bolt
- bearing surface area
Thickness of timber members
- bearing surface area Qk

Orientation of force
with respect to grain
- bearing strength Qskl Qskp
Qsk
Qskl sin 2 Qskp cos2
 Strength of Bolted Joints
f - capacity factor N d , j fk1k16k17 nQsk
type of structure, element
different rows for small and larger diameter bolts
k1- duration of load factor
for some durations is different to k1 for members
<Table 2.3>
k16- side plate factor
stiff side-plates and close-fitting holes can
prevent rotation of bolt
k17- multiple bolt factor
function of number of ROWS of bolts,
seasoned/unseasoned
n - total number of bolts in joint
 k17 Multiple Bolt Factor
<Table 4.11> N d , j fk1k16k17 nQsk
k17 for bolts is different to k17 for nails
Large difference in k17 for bolts in
seasoned and unseasoned timber
Seasoned timber dimensionally stable
No shrinkage hence k17 = 1
Unseasoned timber used in dry conditions
becomes partially seasoned
leads to shrinkage perpendicular to grain
Where restrained, can cause cracking
Cracking reduces connection capacity
k17 Multiple Bolt Factor
Unseasoned timber N d , j fk1k16k17 nQsk
Unrestrained - bolts and bolt holes allow shrinkage
eg use slotted holes in one member,
or use identical members - same shrinkage
or use one bolt per row
Transverse restraint - one member can shrink perp
to grain and other member cant Transverse
eg for timber to metal plate restraint

or for timber to timber in other direction

or for unseasoned timber to seasoned timber Timber bolted
to steel (behind)
Detail connections
so unseasoned timber can shrink
and be free of transverse restraint.
Strength of Bolted Joints
N d , j fk1k16k17 nQsk
Qsk characteristic system capacity of a single joint
Qskl system capacity parallel to grain sum of all
Qkl for the shear planes on one bolt in the connection
Qkl capacity of a single bolt, single shear plane,
force parallel to grain
Qskp system capacity perpendicular to grain sum
of all Qkp (load to grain) for the shear planes on one
bolt in the connection
Qkp capacity of a single bolt, single shear plane,
force perpendicular to grain
Qskl and Qskp used to find Qsk for not 0 or 90
Characteristic bolt capacity
Qk - characteristic capacity of a single bolt
Direction of force
<Table 4.9> parallel to grain
<Table 4.10> perpendicular to grain
for force in both members parallel to grain use only Qkl
Qkl

for force in one member perpendicular to grain use

only Qkp for that member Qkp

for all other cases, both Qkl and Qkp must be found
Characteristic bolt capacity
Use diagrams to find beff for each shear plane in
connection
for Qkl use <Table 4.9(A)> - thinnest timber element
for Qkp use <Table 4.10(A)> thickness of timber
element with force perpendicular to grain
Diameter of bolt D and beff used with
Joint Strength Group in <Tables 4.9 and 4.10> to
find Qkl or Qkp
Capacity of connection across each shear plane
summed to give system capacity for a single bolt
see <Table 4.9(A)> and <Table 4.10(A)>
Characteristic bolt capacity
<Table 4.9(A)> <Table 4.10(A)>
t1 t1 t1
Note:this is a
single member

beff = thickness beff = thickness

t2 of thinnest t2 of member with
member with beff load perp to
load parallel to grain
grain
beff = min(t2, 2t1) beff = t2
Characteristic bolt capacity
<Table 4.9(C)>
TABLE 4.9(C) AS1720.1
CHARACTERISTIC CAPACITY FOR SINGLE BOLTS
Direction of PARALLEL TO GRAIN - SEASONED TIMBER
force Effect Characteristic capacity, Q kl, N
timber
Species Joint Species Bolt diameter
Group thickness
Strength b eff, mm
M6 M8 M10 M12 M16 M20 M24 M

Group JD1 25 4 100 6 900 8 600 10 400 13 800 17 300 20 700 25

35 4 100 7 300 11 400 14 500 19 300 24 200 29 000 36
14 500
40 4 100 7 300 11 400 16 400 22 100 27 600 33 100 41
Timber
45 4 100 7 300 11 400 16 400 24 800 31 100 37 300 46
thickness beff 70 4 100 7 300 11 400 16 400 29 100 45 500 58 000 72
90 4 100 7 300 11 400 16 400 29 100 45 500 65 600 93
JD2 - JD5
105 4 100 7 300 11 400 16 400 29 100 45 500 65 600 10
Bolt Size 120 4 100 7 300 11 400 16 400 29 100 45 500 65 600 10
JD2-JD5
JD6 25 1700 2 200 2 800 3 300 4 400 5 500 6 600 8
35 1900 3 100 3 900 4 600 6 200 7 700 9 200 11
40 1900 3 400 4 400 5 300 7 000 8 800 10 600 13
Strength of bolted joints
<4.4.3.3>
Type 2 bolts (Bolts in tension)
Capacity is lesser of
Bolt failure N d , j n N d ,tb

Wood crush failure N d , j fk1k 7 n f ' pj Aw

Serviceability failure rather than
a separation of the members
k7 - bearing area factor
f 'pj - crushing strength under fasteners
larger than f 'p (confined bearing strength)
Geometry of bolted connections
Detailing
all bolts must have washers that comply with
<4.4.5> - otherwise strength may be reduced
min spacing of bolts is a function of angle of
force to grain direction.
End distance - always measured parallel to grain
between CL of bolt and cut end of timber
Edge distance - always measured perpendicular to
grain between CL of bolt and side of timber
Spacing - measured CL to CL both parallel and
perpendicular to grain
Tendency to split is greater normal to grain
detail to minimise direct tension applied normal
to the grain.
Geometry of bolted connections

Be aware of all possible load directions

Spacing parallel to grain, End dist. Load

load parallel to grain parallel to grain
Edge dist.
Spacing perp to grain,
load parallel to grain

Spacing parallel to grain,

load perpendicular to grain End dist. Load
perpendicular to grain

Edge dist.
Spacing perp to grain,
load perp to grain
Geometry of bolted connections
Some minimum spacings are a function of angle of
force to grain direction
End distance greater for forces parallel to grain
Poisson effect gives tension normal to grain
Edge distance greater for forces normal to grain
Forces normal to grain cause tension normal to grain
Spacing between bolts parallel to LOAD direction 5D
Spacing between bolts normal to LOAD direction
2.5 D to 5 D for load normal to grain and spacing
parallel to grain.
4 D for load parallel to grain and spacing perpendicular to
grain
 Worked Example
Bolted connection in an exposed primary roof truss with two
M16 bolts.
An F14 seasoned mountain ash truss is one of a number of
widely spaced parallel roof trusses in a hospital in
Wodonga (Vic).
For the connection between a horizontal 125 35 member
that bears on top of a wall, and an inclined 175 35
member:
Find the capacity of the connection for permanent actions.
Detail appropriate locations for the bolts in the connection.
Worked Example

6 kN
inclined member 6 kN
30

6 kN
30

horizontal member
 Worked Example
Primary structural element in structure with post disaster function (wide
spacing of the trusses means that there is limited load sharing between
them) and bolted connection
f = 0.75 M16 bolt <Table 2.2>
k1 = 0.57 50+ year duration load / joint <Table 2.3>
k16 = 1.0 bolts not through metal side plates <4.4.3.2>
k17 = 1.0 two rows of bolts in group <Table 4.11>
n=2 two bolts in group

Qsk is a function of the angle of the force to the grain.

For the inclined member, 6 kN load acts parallel to the grain. Bolts loaded
parallel to the grain in the inclined member.
Horizontal member loaded by the same 6 kN force through the bolts, with the
force at 30 degrees to the grain direction in the horizontal member.
 Worked Example
Seasoned mountain ash timber is in Joint Group JD3 <Table H2.3>
For components of load parallel to grain,
beff = b of thinnest piece = 35 mm
Qkl = 12300 N <Table 4.9(C)>
(Seasoned JD3 timber, 16mm bolts, effective thickness = 35 mm)
For components of load perpendicular to grain,
beff = 2 b of thinnest piece = 2 35 = 70 mm
Qkp = 9520 N <Table 4.10(C)>
(Seasoned JD3 timber, 16mm bolts, effective thickness = 70 mm)
Qsk at = 30
Qs k l Qs k p 12.3 9.52
Qs k = 11.5 kN
Qs k l sin Qs k p cos 12.3 sin 30 9.52 cos 30
2 2 2 2
 Worked Example
In the inclined member (force parallel to grain)
N d , j f k1k16k17 nQsk
0.75 0.57 1.0 1.0 2 12300
10500 N
In the horizontal member (force at 30 to grain)
N d , j f k1k16k17 nQsk
0.75 0.57 1.0 1.0 2 11500
9830 N

In both cases, Nd,j > N*

 Worked Example
Spacing parallel to
Edge
edge distance
distance 32 grain, load parallel to
grain
> 80
Edgedistance
edge distance
32
End distance,
horizontal load-
member
end distance
perp. 112
to grain

Connection
overlap Edgedistance
edge distance
32

Area within
> 80
edge and end
distances
Endinclined member
distance, load -
end distance
parallel 112
to grain Spacing parallel to
grain, load parallel to
grain
 Worked Example
For minimum edge distances, end distances and spacings, code gives
different values for loads parallel to grain and perpendicular to grain.

For = 0 to 30 the limits for parallel to grain apply.

ie. use parallel to grain limits for both pieces. <4.4.4.2>

Min edge distance = 2D = 32 mm

Min spacing across grain = 4D = 64 mm (load parallel to grain)

ie for two per row width = 32 + 64 + 32 = 128 < 140 mm

Min end distance = 7D = 112 mm for tension (horizontal mem)

Min end distance = 5D = 80 mm for compr. (inclined mem)
Maybe best to use 112 mm for this as well to allow for load reversal
making this member tension as well.

Min spacing along grain = 5D = 80 mm (load parallel to grain)

 Worked Example
The diagram shows that there is easily enough
room to accommodate the two bolts.
The long-term capacity of the connection is more
than the 6 kN permanent action in the inclined
member.