VDI 2230-2 Multi-bolt Joint Calculation (Rigid-body Method) v0.1 Beta · 2026-10-06

📖 What this tool does

• Splits the loads on a bolt array across every bolt by the rigid-body method (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §6.3), gives the axial force F_{Ai} and the transverse force F_{qi} of each bolt, flags the candidate critical bolts and hands the numbers over to VDI 2230-1.
• Covered: any planar bolt pattern (coordinate table, rectangular array, bolt circle); transverse force, axial force, bending moments, torque, an off-centre load application point, a fixed axis of rotation, and internal pressure on one evenly spaced bolt circle (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §6.3.1, §6.3.2).
• Not implemented in this calculator: the elastomechanical methods (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §6.4), the unevenly loaded bolt rows (§6.6), finite elements (§7) and the corrected calculations of Annex A1 and A2.
• The calculator has one nominal diameter d for all bolts; the standard assumes one nominal bolt diameter in a bolt array (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §6.3.1.1).

Assumptions of the rigid-body method

• The clamped components are assumed to be considerably stiffer than the bolts; the bolts are not preloaded and are replaced by point bearings in the interface (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §5.2, Figure 1).
• Only axial and transverse forces can be calculated; bending moments in the bolts and interfaces are ignored, so the bolt and residual clamp loads can be considerably larger and also smaller than in reality (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §5.2).
• The rigid-body model is only of very limited application for check calculations under vibrational loading (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §5.2); the calculator does not hand a minimum axial load F_{A,min} over to VDI 2230-1.
• If an elastomechanical calculation is possible, it should also be undertaken (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §6.2).
• Several bolts may have to be investigated (VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §6.2).

Coordinate convention of the calculator: seen from the bolt-head side (looking along -y), z and z^* point right and x and x^* point up; the y axis points towards you and F_{AB}>0 is tension; moments follow the right-hand rule.

This tool is independently developed and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or derived from VDI or any software vendor. It implements a subset of VDI 2230 Part 2:2014-12, §6.3 (rigid-body mechanics).