Uncertainties and dynamic problems of bolted joints and other fasteners

This review article provides an overview of the problems pertaining to structural dynamics with bolted joints. These problems are complex in nature because every joint involves different sources of uncertainty and non-smooth non-linear characteristics. For example, the contact forces are not ideally plane due to manufacturing tolerances of contact surfaces. Furthermore, the initial forces will be redistributed non-uniformly in the presence of lateral loads. This is in addition to the prying loading, which is non-linear tension in the bolt and non-linear compression in the joint. Under environmental dynamic loading, the joint preload experiences some relaxation that results in time variation of the structure's dynamic properties. Most of the reported studies focused on the energy dissipation of bolted joints, linear and non-linear identification of the dynamic properties of the joints, parameter uncertainties and relaxation, and active control of the joint preload. Design issues of fully and partially restrained joints, sensitivity analysis to variations of joint parameters, and fatigue prediction for metallic and composite joints will be discussed.