Static Assessment of Hybrid Double-Lap Bolted Joints With Additively Manufactured 316L Plates

Abstract

The present study examines the static response and evaluates the accuracy of design standards and selected literature-based design criteria in estimating the load capacity of the inner plates of double-lap shear bolted connections in single- and double-bolt configurations. The analysis is based on 70 experiments previously reported by the authors, including conventional and additively manufactured inner plates produced by wire arc additive manufacturing and selective laser melting. While additively manufactured plates exhibited load capacities comparable to conventional plates, they generally showed reduced ductility. Experimental load capacities are compared against the European standards EC3-1-8 and EC3-1-4 and the American standard AISC 370. Although originally developed for carbon steel, EC3-1-8 provided the most accurate estimations, whereas EC3-1-4 and AISC 370 consistently overestimated the load capacity. Literature-based equations showed the closest agreement, highlighting limitations in current standards for additively manufactured bolted plates.