Numerical Analysis of Prying Action for an Effective Response of Isolated Bolted Steel Connections.

The knowledge of the prying action is no doubt essential to the understanding of the response of the idealised bolted steel connections or a tension region in beam to column steel connections. This paper presents part of the numerical results of a study devoted to the analysis of the amplitudes and the location of the normal pressure distribution to quantify the effective line of action of the prying force in idealised bolted steel connections. The elastoplastic response, up to the ultimate state, was analysed and aspects relative to prying forces, stiffness, strength and bolt loads were reviewed and a thorough study was made to provide some useful and relevant information in order to improve the state of the current knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]