Technical

Blue Book tables

for bolts, welds and webs
For the last time in this series, David Brown of the SCI looks at the resistance tables in the Blue Book
looking this time at the tables for bolts, welds and web resistance.

No less important than bending and buckling resistance, the minimum thickness quoted is that needed to deliver the tensile
Blue Book covers the usual additional tables that designers resistance given in the Table. The expression of this design
would expect. In general, we would always say that the steel resistance is given in Table 3.4 of BS EN 1993-1-8.
knows no difference and therefore we would be surprised if we
found a dramatic change according to the Eurocode. Prepare to Bolt resistances - Bearing
be (slightly) surprised! The Eurocode is rather more complex than BS 5950 when
calculating the bearing resistance. The influence of the end
Bolt resistances Shear and Tension distance, edge distance, pitch and gauge are all taken into
We really would be surprised if bolts had suddenly become account and can all have an impact on the final resistance. The
stronger or weaker they certainly dont recognise national geometry of the existing standard details found in the Green
boundaries. The following table covers the UK Standard bolt Book on simple connections mean that the bearing resistance is
a M20 8.8, fully threaded, non-preloaded. limited. The Blue Book therefore gives the bearing resistances
for the standard details, assuming these to be in common
M20, 8.8, fully threaded use in the UK, but also gives bearing resistances with increased
dimensions which increase the bearing resistance. Extracts
Resistance BS 5950 BS EN 1993-1-8
for M20, 8.8 bolts in S275 are given in Table 1 and Table 2. The
Shear 92 kN 94 kN
Tension (simple method) 110 kN increase in bearing resistance is considerable with just a modest
141 kN change in geometry.
Tension (more exact method) 137 kN

We notice that there is no simple Table 1: Standard geometry

Pr
method in the Eurocode prying, Bearing resistance (kN)
as illustrated in Figure 1, must Edge End
Pitch Gauge
always be accounted for. Of course, Diameter distance distance Thickness (mm)
e2 e1 p1 p2
in simple shear connections there
is no prying, and in the modern 5 6 8 10 12 15
approach to moment connections, 20 30 40 60 60 42.1 50.5 67.4 84.2 101 126
Q Q the method allows for prying. In Table 2: Geometry arranged to increase the bearing resistance
Figure 1: Prying force, Q other connections with bolts in Bearing resistance (kN)
tension, prying must be considered. Edge End
Pitch Gauge
Diameter distance distance Thickness (mm)
Punching shear? e2 e1 p1 p2
The tables for non-preloaded bolts, as shown in Figure 2, include 5 6 8 10 12 15
a new minimum thickness when bolts are used in tension 20 35 60 80 70 74.5 89.5 119 149 179 224
minimum thickness for punching shear
A demonstration of how these bearing resistances have been
calculated is worthwhile, starting with the standard geometry
and 10mm S275 material.
The bearing resistance, as given in Table 3.4 of BS EN 1993-1-8

k1ab fudt
is: Fb,Rd =
M2
fub
Where ab is the smaller of b, , or 1.0
fu
e1 p 1
For end bolts, b = and for inner bolts, b = 1
3do 3do 4
e2
k1 is the smaller of 2.8 1.7 or 2.5
do
For the standard geometry:-
Figure 2 Typical table for 8.8 bolt resistances
e2 30
k1 = 2.8 1.7 = 2.8 1.7 = 2.11 or 2.5 (the minimum).
do 22
The idea that bolts in tension may pull out of the material may
be new, but could be envisaged with relatively thin material. The Therefore k1 = 2.11

28 NSC June 2010

Technical

e1 40
b = = = 0.61 thicknesses used in most connections are greater than those
3do 3 22 needed to provide an adequate bearing resistance. The UK
800
ab is the smaller of 0.61, , or 1.0. Therefore ab = 0.61 National Annex notes that in certain circumstances deformation
410
at serviceability might control and a M2 = 1.5 would be more
With M2 = 1.25 (from the UK National Annex), appropriate. The National Annex indicates that this may be the
case when ab = 1.0.
k1ab fudt 2.11 0.61 410 20 10
Fb,Rd = = = 84.4 kN Notice that for standard S275, 10 mm fittings, the bearing
M2 1.25 103
resistance at 84 kN is a little less than the shear resistance of an
When the geometry is changed slightly to increase the bearing M20 bolt at 94 kN.
resistance the following calculations result:
Preloaded bolts
e2 35
k1 = 2.8 1.7 = 2.8 1.7 = 2.75 or 2.5 (the minimum). The new Blue Book has plenty of tables covering pre-loaded
do 22
bolts. It is important to select the correct bolt class and if
Therefore k1 = 2.5 the bolt is countersunk or not. Like BS 5950, there are two
situations covered non-slip at SLS and non-slip at ULS. A new
e1 60
b = = = 0.91 requirement in the Eurocode is that even when considering
3do 3 22
non-slip at ULS, the bearing resistance must still be checked,
800
ab is the smaller of 0.91, , or 1.0. Therefore ab = 0.91 which explains the additional data in the new tables. There is
410
no significant difference in resistances between BS 5950 and
With M2 = 1.25 (from the UK National Annex), BS EN 1993-1-8

k1ab fudt 2.5 0.91 410 20 10

Fb,Rd = = = 149 kN Welds
M2 1.25 103
The design resistance of fillet welds is tabulated for welds in
If the end distance were increased still further to 70 mm, the S275 and S355. A comparison between the resistances according
bearing resistance would increase to 164 kN. This is a massive to BS 5950 and BS EN 1993-1-8 is given in Table 3 for welds in
increase compared to BS 5950 when designers would have S275 steel.
expected the bearing resistance in 10 mm, S275 material to be
Table 3: Fillet weld resistances
equal to the bolt shear resistance, 92 kN.
Leg length Throat Longitudinal resistance Transverse resistance
The reason for this apparent jump in resistance lies in the (mm) (mm) (kN/mm) (kN/mm)
different approaches to bearing resistance in BS 5950 and BS 5950 BS EN 1993-1-8 BS 5950 BS EN 1993-1-8
BS EN 1993-1-1. In BS 5950, although the bearing resistance 6 4.2 0.92 0.94 1.16 1.15
was compared to ultimate loads, the bearing strength had 8 5.6 1.23 1.25 1.54 1.53
been adjusted to limit the deformation at working load to 10 7.0 1.54 1.56 1.93 1.91
1.5 mm. There is no such limit in the Eurocode, and hence
higher resistances result. In most cases, the increased bearing As expected, there is hardly any difference between the
resistances will be of little value, because the practical material calculated resistances.

30 NSC June 2010

 Technical

Figure 4: Extract from web bearing

and buckling tables

Web bearing and buckling resistance is given in Figure 4 above as 299 kN which
The Eurocode approach is rather different to BS 5950, as was compares with 298 kN in the earlier NSC article presumably
explained in the NSC article in May 2008. Tables are provided in some rounding difference in the two calculations.
the Blue Book to make the designers life easy when checking According to the BS 5950 Blue Book, the bearing resistance
the resistance of webs to transverse forces. Figure 4 shows an is 214 + 2.27 50 = 327 kN and the buckling resistance is
extract from the Blue Book tables for S355 beams. 1 (125 327)0.5 = 202 kN. The increased resistance in the
Various values of the stiff bearing length ss are given, Eurocode (which covers web bearing and buckling in a single
together with information about c, which is the distance from check) is welcome as strengthening will not be needed as often.
the end of the beam. Thus if the load is applied at the end of the
beam, the design resistance for c = 0 should be taken the top Conclusions
line for each beam. If the load is applied some distance from This short series has reviewed the resistances according to
the end of the beam, the proximity to the end no longer has BS 5950 and BS EN 1993 1. In general, as expected, resistances
any influence. This dimension is described as clim in the tables, are generally about the same. The exception is in lateral
and given in the second line. As long as the load is applied at a torsional buckling, where resistances increase in the order of
distance greater than clim, the resistance is given by the third line 25% at reasonable lengths. The intention of these articles was to
for each beam. compare and contrast resistances calculated to the two design
In the May 2008 NSC article, which considered a 406 140 Standards and offer some reassurance, but also to demonstrate
39 UKB in S355, the stiff bearing length was 50 mm, and that the Blue Book will serve as an excellent design aid,
the distance from the end of the beam was 2725 mm greatly following the lead of all the previous editions, making steel
in excess of clim given as 210 mm in Figure 4. The tabulated design simple.

NSC June 2010 31