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Investigating the Correlation Between Corrosion-Induced Bolt Head Damage and Preload Loss Using Ultrasonic Testing
Jay Shah1, Hao Wang2, Abhijit Mukherjee3
1Centre of Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 30, 2025
Summary
Corrosion-induced bolt head damage impacts bolted joints. Guided wave ultrasonic testing (UT) revealed waveform changes, not total energy loss, indicating subtle degradation undetectable by simple energy analysis.
Area of Science:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Non-Destructive Testing
Background:
- Bolted joint integrity is crucial for structural safety.
- Corrosion-induced bolt head damage can compromise preload and joint integrity.
- Quantifying the effects of bolt head damage on interfacial contact remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between bolt head damage and bolt torque levels.
- To assess the impact of simulated corrosion on bolted joint integrity using guided wave ultrasonic testing.
- To determine if bolt head damage affects interfacial contact stresses.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory experiments using guided wave ultrasonic testing (UT).
- Monitoring ultrasonic signal transmission during bolt tightening.
- Simulating corrosion by controlled artificial damage to bolt heads.
- Analyzing transmitted signal energy and waveform characteristics.
Main Results:
- Ultrasonic signal energy transmission during tightening varied with inspection frequency.
- No clear monotonic trend in total transmitted energy was observed even with 16% bolt head mass loss.
- Distinct waveform changes, including energy redistribution and new wave packets, were detected despite stable total energy.
Conclusions:
- Simple analysis of total transmitted ultrasonic energy is insufficient to detect bolt head degradation.
- Advanced waveform-based analysis is necessary for interpreting subtle changes caused by bolt degradation.
- Guided wave UT shows potential for monitoring bolted joint integrity, but requires sophisticated analysis techniques.
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