The investigation contained herein is a part of a larger, long-term project: The
Development of SMART Aircraft Bolts. Structural failures, at highly stressed
components, arc common in some of the aircraft used by the South African Air force.
The strength of one such component, the wing bolts on the C-130 aircraft, is analysed
and compared to the stress distribution in a bolt which has a small hole drilled through
the centre of the bolt (which will be used to insert a sensing device). The results of
this analysis will be used as input into further phases of the project, e.g., SMART
material selection and the development of sensing devices.
Due to the complex physics of a bolted joint, advanced analysis of the bolt under
conservative loading was performed, after conducting thorough research into bolted
joint design and analysis methods, in order to provoke the final recommendations.
