Of the six typical failure modes of a bolted joint, only one is the bolt being pulled apart. This article starts from how a bolted joint works and gives a checklist: which joints need the systematic VDI 2230 calculation, which can do with simplified preselection, and what the standard covers and does not cover.
Why does a bolted joint fail as a whole when the surface is only crushed a tiny bit? This article uses the model of a 'stretched rubber band clamping a sponge' to see through the mechanics of the bearing-pressure check: from microscopic peak crushing and macroscopic embedding (Setzen), to the elastic recoil that causes an irreversible loss of preload (clamping force), to the chain failure of loosening and fatigue fracture β and gives engineering measures such as controlling the limiting surface pressure and enlarging the bearing area.