Bolted connection modeling and validation through laser-aided testing

Bolted connections are widely employed in facility structures, such as light masts, transmission poles, and wind turbine towers. The complex connection behavior plays a significant role in the overall dynamic characteristics of a structure. A finite element (FE) modeling study of a bolt-connected square tubular steel beam is presented in this paper. Modal testing was performed in a controlled laboratory condition to validate the FE model, developed for the bolted beam. Two laser Doppler vibrometers were used simultaneously to measure structural vibration. A simplified joint model was proposed to further save computation time for structures with bolted connections. This study is an on-going effort to marshal knowledge associated with detecting damage on facility structures with bolted connections.

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