Comparative Analysis of Fasteners Utilized in a Crane - Threaded Plate vs. Nut and Bolt

Bolted connections are widely utilized in cranes, hoists and rigging applications. Typically, these connections consist of nuts and bolts that compress two plates together. That compression creates friction between the two components, which resists relative motion when the structure is acted upon by an outside force. A similar type of bolted joint consists of one plate that has a threaded hole instead of a nut. It might seem that the threaded plate connection would have a similar performance to the nut and bolt connection, in addition to other advantages, such as ease of installation. However, this is not necessarily the case. This work presents a case study that analyzes the differences between these two bolted joints using finite element analysis. Analysis shows that in the case study application, the threaded plate does not perform as well as the nut and bolt connection with respect to compression. This reduction in compression can lead to slipping and the bolts being more susceptible to fatigue.