Creating a Bolt Pretension Property

A bolt pretension property applies loads due to bolt tightening in an assembly. The results of this property are similar to those obtained using the bolt tightening and virtual bolt tightening connection properties (see Creating Bolt Tightening Connection Properties, and Creating Virtual Rigid Bolt Tightening Connection Properties, respectively). A bolt pretension property uses beam or 3D geometry, mesh parts, or groups as a support; it can be added to any structural analysis step by applying a point load. You can create multiple bolt pretension properties, but like bolt tightening properties you cannot apply a single bolt pretension property to more than one bolt in a model. See Defining Pretensioned Bolts in a Model for more information.

This task shows you how to create a bolt pretension property.

  1. Click the Bolt Pretension Property icon .

    The Bolt Pretension Property dialog box appears, and a bolt pretension property object appears in the specification tree under the Nonlinear and Thermal Properties objects set.

  2. You can change the bolt pretension property identifier by editing the Name field. This name will be used in the specification tree.

  3. Select the beam or 3D geometry representing the bolt.

  4. If you selected 3D geometry for the support, you must also select a cutting plane through the bolt cross-section.

    The cutting plane defines the pretension section for the bolt.

  5. Click OK in the Bolt Pretension Property dialog box.