AISC Bolt Shear Capacity — Minimum Dimensions Feb 2024

In a June 2019 post, I introduced my AISC bolt capacity app. The iPhone app uses Pythonista to calculate AISC bolt shear capacities in accordance with the 15th Edition of the Manual of Steel Construction in accordance with Section J3. The app condenses the use of AISC Tables 7-1 through 7-5 into a straightforward single page app.
Here are a few summary screenshots that present the minimum spacings, edge distances, and plate thicknesses required to achieve 100% of the rated shear capacity of the bolt..

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First, compare " bolts — Grade 36 and then Grade 50 plate

• The minimum spacing is "
• The minimum edge dimension is 1"
• The minimum plate thickness is "

I note that a Grade 50 plate thickness of " provides 97% of the rated bolted capacity.

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Second, compare ” bolts — Grade 36 and then Grade 50 plate

• The minimum spacing is "
• The minimum edge dimension is "
• The minimum plate thickness is "

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Finally, compare 1" bolts — Grade 36 and then Grade 50 plate

• The minimum spacing is "
• The minimum edge dimension is "
• The minimum Grade 36 plate thickness is "
• The minimum Grade 50 plate thickness is "

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Of course, it is simple to specify the plate thickness to achieve 100% capacity. However, the beam web may still limit the bolt capacity as in the following example.

For a Grade 992 W12x30 beam, the web thickness is 0.26″.

• At a minimum spacing of "
• At a minimum edge dimension of "
• The calculated shear capacity is only 43% of the 17.9 kip capacity of a " A325 bolt