Analysis of Bolt and Rivet Structural Fasteners Subjected to Dynamic and Quasi-Static Shear Loadings

Non-pretensioned bolted, pretensioned bolted, and riveted lap-spliced specimens were tested to observe how the fasteners’ shear strengths were affected by (1) loading type, (2) fastener type, (3) number of shear planes, and (4) joint configuration. A 200,000-lbf capacity dynamic loader was used to fail the specimens under a monotonic dynamic or quasi-static load. The applied force and acceleration were measured by load cells and accelerometers above and below the specimen. The test data were normalized by the number of shear planes loaded in each test, actual cross-sectional area per shear plane, and ultimate static tensile strength of the respective fastener type. A statistical analysis (ANOVA and t-test) was conducted on data sets from the 224 tests to determine the significant factors affecting the fastener shear strength. Conclusions from the analysis indicated that the loading type factor has the most significant effect on shear capacity. A fastener’s dynamic shear strength is increased by a ratio of 1.72 to 1.78 over its quasi-static shear capacity regardless of fastener type, when both are normalized to the fastener’s ultimate static tensile strength. The joint configuration and shear type generally did not have a practical effect from an engineering standpoint on the shear capacity of bolted fasteners. Shear type did have an effect on riveted specimens under quasi-static loadings. Joint configuration only affected the response of riveted specimens under dynamic loadings