PROBLEM 1.
Two steel plates are to be held together by means of 16-mm-
diameter high-strength steel bolts fitting snugly inside cylindrical
brass spacers. Knowing that the average normal stress must not
exceed 200 MPa in the bolts and 130 MPa in the spacers,
determine the outer diameter of the spacers that yields the most
economical and safe design.
SOLUTION
At each bolt location the upper plate is pulled down by the tensile force Pb of the bolt. At the same time, the
spacer pushes that plate upward with a compressive force Ps in order to maintain equilibrium.
Pb = Ps
Fb 4Pb π
For the bolt, σb = = or Pb = σ bdb2
Ab π db2 4
Ps 4Ps π
For the spacer, σs = = or Ps = σ s (d s2 − db2 )
As π (d s2 − db2 ) 4
Equating Pb and Ps ,
π π
σ bdb2 = σ s (d s2 − db2 )
4 4
σb 200
ds = 1+ d = 1+ (16) d s = 25.2 mm
σs b 130