The distribution of pressure between two flat plates bolted together

Abstract A method is described which was developed to measure the distribution of pressure between two plates bolted together. From the results of these measurements empirical formulae for the pressure distribution were established. Although the problem was found not to be amenable to rigorous analysis, an idealization of the geometry enabled a relaxation solution of the stress function equations to be obtained. The pressure distributions obtained in this way for four different cases and the predictions of the empirical formula show that the pressure is highest at the edge of the hole, but falls off rapidly to zero at a point whose distance from the edge of the hole depends upon the thickness of the plates.