Experimental study on performance characterization of bolted joint under transverse loading.

• Experimental study was carried out to explore performance changes of bolted joints. • Initially, the tangential stiffness is relatively stable, and then drops rapidly. • Under transverse loading, the contact form of fastener body and plate is the same. • The performance of bolted joints can be evaluated with piecewise functions. Threaded fasteners are widely used in a variety of engineering applications. The quality of threaded connections directly affects the service performance. By aiming to acquiring a deeper understanding of the performance characteristics, the mechanical behavior of bolted joint was examined using transverse tensile test. The force–displacement curves of bolted joints exhibit linear characteristics during the first stage, while subsequently the curves exhibit various shapes due to assembly clearance. The tangential stiffness of the bolted joint decreases rapidly when the connected plate slips. And the transverse load threshold between various stages is positively correlated with the clamping force of threaded fastener. The experimental data was fitted to obtain a piecewise function that characterizes the entire slip curve of bolted joints under transverse loading. Main characterization parameters in various stages were analyzed and discussed based on the experimental results, which can aid in the design and using of bolted joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]