Boundary element method application to bolted joints analysis

Abstract

The extent of contact region and interface pressure distribution are important parameters for the stress analysis of bolted joints. This note shows how they were computed by the boundary element method in the case of two linear elastic axisymmetric plates of the same thickness. The bolt load distribution was assumed to be constant; three thickness values and two configurations of the bolt load were examined. A comparison was made between BEM results obtained by the authors and FEM results available in literature.