Mechanics of Bolted Connections — Lesson 2

Have you ever wondered what kind of forces steel trusses experience in giant structures? Are they tensile forces, shear forces or a combination of both?

It’s important to understand these forces so you can design the joints accordingly. This is why you may see different bolts used in the same structure at different locations.

These lessons introduce the different types of joints as well as the importance of the preload in their designs. We also discuss how the different joints fail due to insufficient preload.

Video Lesson

Part 1

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Part 2

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Part 3

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Handout

Here are the accompanying handout slides for this lesson.