Monday  |  Salon 10  |  02:20 PM–02:40 PM

#16668–Influences of Bolt Location, Torqueing, and Lifetime on Dynamical Characteristics of Bolted Joint Structures

There are several factors that may alter the dynamical responses of a bolted-joint structure throughout its lifetime, though in literature, these effects are often ignored. The bolted joint system is assumed to function invariably throughout its lifetime, but there is uncertainty in how accurately this applies to real-world systems. The dynamical properties of a system will undoubtedly change throughout the system’s lifetime, but understanding just how these properties evolve is essential for predicting the failure of the system. The purpose of this study is to determine how the dynamical properties of a cantilevered bolted-joint structure change throughout its lifetime. This encompasses how the system’s dynamics change due to certain torqueing specifications, as well as induced asymmetries, such as differing bolt locations and effective length. The dynamical properties of a Brake-Reuss beam are inspected through testing at multiple stages throughout its lifetime to observe how the linear and nonlinear characteristics of the system are influenced. The test specimen used in this investigation uses a different scaling than the original Brake-Reuss beam, with a 60 cm length and a square cross-section of 1 cm made of aluminum 6061-T6. A combination of experimental results and finite element analysis simulations are used to understand these changes. The linear and nonlinear behaviors of the bolted-joint beam during its lifetime will be investigated and characterized using various vibrational testing techniques including free, random, and harmonic excitations.

Tharwat Elkabani   New Mexico State University
Andres Tiede   New Mexico State University
Abdessattar Abdelkefi   New Mexico State University