Failure Modes
The most common mode of failure is overloading: Operating forces of the application produce loads that exceed the clamp load, causing the joint to loosen over time or fail catastrophically.
Overtorquing might cause failure by damaging the threads and deforming the fastener, though this can happen over a very long time. Undertorquing can cause failures by allowing a joint to come loose, and it may also allow the joint to flex and thus fail under fatigue.
Brinelling may occur with poor quality washers, leading to a loss of clamp load and subsequent failure of the joint.
Other modes of failure include corrosion, embedment, and exceeding the shear stress limit.
Bolted joints may be used intentionally as sacrificial parts, which are intended to fail before other parts, as in a shear pin.
Read more about this topic: Bolted Joint
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