Bolted connections

In the field of bolted connections, the Institute for Steel Construction focuses since the founding year on the load bearing behavior of the bolted ring-flange connections. This connection is used in support structures for on- and offshore wind turbines for the connection between tower segments or between tower and sub-structures. Ring-flanges in wind turbines are usually connected with hot-dip galvanized, high-strength bolting assemblies (HV-sets) with large diameters M36 and bigger. The magnitude of the acting loads at the bottom of the supporting steel towers usually requires the application of very large bolt diameters M64 or M72. With the increasing geometry of the bolts and the flanges, new challenges arise in the construction and the design of the ring-flanges