Which type of connection can withstand the greatest tensile and shear stresses?

Which type of connection can withstand the greatest tensile and shear stresses?

• A. Welded connection
• B. Bolted connection
• C. High-strength steel bolts
• D. Riveted connection

Answer: (C)

The strongest, most reliable transfer of loads in both tension and shear comes from high-strength bolted connections. These bolts are manufactured to very high tensile strengths and are pretensioned or tightened so that the full bolt shank carries the load. In tension, the bolt’s cross-sectional area in the shank resists the pull, and in shear, the bolt shear area resists sliding along the bolt’s plane. The result is a predictable, uniform capacity that’s largely governed by the bolt grade and tightening method. Welded connections, while capable of high strength, depend heavily on weld quality, size, and the heat-affected zone, which can introduce variability and potential defects. Riveted connections generally provide lower capacity in both tension and shear compared with modern high-strength bolted connections. Therefore, for maximum tensile and shear strength, high-strength steel bolts are the best choice.

The strongest, most reliable transfer of loads in both tension and shear comes from high-strength bolted connections. These bolts are manufactured to very high tensile strengths and are pretensioned or tightened so that the full bolt shank carries the load. In tension, the bolt’s cross-sectional area in the shank resists the pull, and in shear, the bolt shear area resists sliding along the bolt’s plane. The result is a predictable, uniform capacity that’s largely governed by the bolt grade and tightening method.

Welded connections, while capable of high strength, depend heavily on weld quality, size, and the heat-affected zone, which can introduce variability and potential defects. Riveted connections generally provide lower capacity in both tension and shear compared with modern high-strength bolted connections. Therefore, for maximum tensile and shear strength, high-strength steel bolts are the best choice.