Mechanics of Advanced Composite Structures

Mechanics of Advanced Composite Structures

Quantitative Analysis of the Effect of the Number of Bolt Rows on Shear Strength in Bolted Connections of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Plate: Comparative Assessment of ASCE-SEI 74-23 and CEN/TS 19101:2022 Design Equations

Document Type : Research Article

Author
Department of Civil Engineering, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
Abstract
Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are increasingly employed in structural applications due to their advantageous properties, including a high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Besides FRP bars, FRP profiles and plates are also widely used in the construction industry, and their connection type plays a critical role in the design process. Among the different types of connections for FRP plates, bolted joints are favored for their simplicity and ease of maintenance. This study investigates the influence of the number of bolt rows on the shear-out capacity of double-lap shear bolted connections in FRP plates subjected to static tensile loading. Specifically, the study compares the shear-out capacity predictions derived from two established design standards: ASCE-SEI 74-23 and CEN/TS 19101:2022. The analysis considers configurations with one, two, and three bolt rows, each consisting of a single bolt, thereby avoiding the block-shear failure mode. The results based on CEN/TS 19101:2022 indicate that increasing the number of bolt rows from one to two substantially enhances the joint capacity. However, the inclusion of a third bolt row provides negligible improvement. Conversely, according to ASCE-SEI 74-23, increasing the number of bolt rows consistently enhances the predicted connection capacity. This difference is attributed to the different coefficients used in the corresponding design equations. The findings indicate that geometric parameters, as well as material properties, significantly influence the calculated joint capacity. Furthermore, comparison of the two standards reveals that ASCE-SEI 74-23 tends to produce more conservative estimates of connection capacity than CEN/TS 19101:2022. These differences predominantly arise from the distinct design philosophies and the application of adjustment factors within each standard. Notably, ASCE-SEI 74-23 provides greater safety margins through the incorporation of load type-dependent adjustment factors.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 September 2026