The Use of Friction Shims in Slip‐Resistant Connections in Steel Bridge Structures

Abstract Non‐slip connections in dynamically loaded structures can be realized with fitted bolts, injection bolts and high strength friction grip (HSFG) bolts. Since the slip resistance of HSFG bolts is rather low in corrosion‐protected components, friction shims – a connection type developed in mechanical engineering – have been investigated for the use in bridge structures. These investigations include quasi‐static tests under short‐term and long‐term loading on connections with different shim configurations and different surface treatments according to EN 1090‐2, Annex G. The friction shims vary in their diamond size, area ratio of the diamonds and carrier material. For the surface treatments, base‐coated and hot dip galvanized specimens are examined under variation of the galvanizing process parameters. Afterwards, fatigue tests and numerical simulations with variation of essential influencing parameters can be carried out.