Skip to main content

Bracket plate on column flange, 5 M20 bolts

Short answer

For M20 grade 4.6 bolts, shear capacity 45.26 kN governs. Direct shear per bolt P/5 plus torsion from eccentricity 100 mm gives resultant 0.4031P_u per bolt. Equating to shear capacity gives P_u = 112.3 kN. Safe working load = P_u/1.5 ≈ 74.9 kN.

A bracket plate is bolted to the flange of a column using 5 Nos. of M 20 bolts of grade 4.6 and is loaded as shown in the figure. Determine the maximum value of working load 'P' which can be carried safely. [Figure: 10 mm thick bracket plate bolted to the flange of an ISMB 300 column; load P acts at 250 mm from the column face; plate width 300 mm; 5 bolts arranged with vertical pitch 80 mm and 80 mm and horizontal spacings 90 mm, 60 mm, 60 mm as dimensioned]

Assumptions (figure values are ambiguous): the bracket plate (10 mm) lies against the column flange (ISMB 300, tf=12.4t_f=12.4 mm) and the load PP acts in the plane of the bolts. The 5 bolts are M20, grade 4.6, in the pattern: four corner bolts at (±60,±80)(\pm60,\pm80) mm and one at the centre (gauges 60+60 and pitch 80+80; this makes the corner distance r=602+802=100r=\sqrt{60^2+80^2}=100 mm). The bolt group centroid is 150 mm from the column face (90 mm edge + 60 mm), so the eccentricity of PP (250 mm from the face) is e=250−150=100e=250-150=100 mm. Working load PP = factored load / 1.5.

     o       o      y = +80
         o          y =   0   centre
     o       o      y = -80
    x=-60   +60            P acts e = 100 mm from centroid

Bolt value (IS 800:2007, cl. 10.3)

  • M20: Anb=245A_{nb}=245 mm², fub=400f_{ub}=400, fu=410f_u=410, d0=22d_0=22 mm.
  • Shear (single shear, thread in plane): Vdsb=4003×2451.25×10−3=45.26V_{dsb}=\dfrac{400}{\sqrt3}\times\dfrac{245}{1.25}\times10^{-3}=45.26 kN
  • Bearing (plate 10 mm, e=40e=40, p=80p=80): kb=min⁡(0.606, 0.962, 0.976, 1)=0.606k_b=\min(0.606,\,0.962,\,0.976,\,1)=0.606; Vdpb=2.5kbdtfu/γmb=99.4V_{dpb}=2.5k_bdtf_u/\gamma_{mb}=99.4 kN
  • Bolt value Vdb=45.26V_{db}=45.26 kN (shear governs).

Force on the critical (corner) bolt, per unit factored load PuP_u

  • Σr2=4×1002=40000\Sigma r^2=4\times100^2=40000 mm²; torsion T=Pue=100PuT=P_ue=100P_u
  • Direct shear (vertical) FD=Pu/5=0.2PuF_D=P_u/5=0.2P_u
  • Torsional force FT=TrΣr2=100Pu×10040000=0.25PuF_T=\dfrac{T r}{\Sigma r^2}=\dfrac{100P_u\times100}{40000}=0.25P_u, with components FTx=0.25Pu×80100=0.20PuF_{Tx}=0.25P_u\times\tfrac{80}{100}=0.20P_u and FTy=0.25Pu×60100=0.15PuF_{Ty}=0.25P_u\times\tfrac{60}{100}=0.15P_u
  • Resultant R=(0.20Pu)2+(0.2Pu+0.15Pu)2=0.4031PuR=\sqrt{(0.20P_u)^2+(0.2P_u+0.15P_u)^2}=0.4031P_u

Capacity

0.4031Pu≤45.26⇒Pu=112.3 kN0.4031P_u\le45.26\Rightarrow P_u=112.3\ \text{kN}

Answer: factored load Pu≈112.3P_u\approx112.3 kN; safe working load P=Pu/1.5≈74.9P=P_u/1.5\approx74.9 kN.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

All Design of Steel and Timber Structure chapter 4 questions →