Experimental Study and Computer Simulation of the Work of Combined Bolt and Weld-In Connections

Abstract

When operating load-bearing building structures, there is often a need to strengthen the bolted connection, if the connection has a lack of load-bearing capacity. This may be due to increased loads on the structure or damage to the connection (for example, as a result of corrosion). The method of strengthening the bolted connection with welds, therefore, has obvious practical significance, and the combined bolt and weld-in connection has its own field of application. Many authors devoted their works to studies of combined connections, which use the joint work of friction bonds in the form of prestressed high-strength bolts and bonds in the form of welds. However, connections on conventional, non-prestressed bolts, which are affected by shear forces, are still of interest for research. The subject of research in them is the joint work in one connection of two types of bonds—bolts and welds, each of which has a significantly different deformability. The paper presents the results of testing physical samples of bolt and weld-in connections and computer research of their numerical models. The impact of preloading on the load-bearing capacity of combined bolt and weld-in connections is revealed. The load-bearing capacity criterion for numerical models was adopted on the basis of the deformation compatibility of numerical simulation samples and physical tests.