During a structural steel erection, you discover that a beam connection requires 8 high-strength bolts in double shear. Each bolt has a shear capacity of 21.6 kips per shear plane. What is the total shear capacity of this connection?
Correct Answer
A) 345.6 kips
Double shear means 2 shear planes per bolt. Total capacity = 8 bolts × 21.6 kips × 2 planes = 345.6 kips
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Double shear means each bolt passes through three members (two shear planes per bolt). Total capacity = number of bolts × capacity per shear plane × number of shear planes = 8 × 21.6 kips × 2 = 345.6 kips. The key insight is that 'double shear' doubles the effective capacity per bolt compared to single shear.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 172.8 kips
172.8 kips is the result of single shear (8 × 21.6 = 172.8). This answer ignores the 'double shear' specification in the problem. A candidate who reads past 'double shear' or does not understand what it means will land on this incorrect figure.
Option C: 691.2 kips
691.2 kips would result from multiplying by 4 shear planes (172.8 × 4), which corresponds to quadruple shear — a configuration not described in this problem. This distractor catches candidates who multiply incorrectly or confuse the number of shear planes.
Option D: 518.4 kips
518.4 kips = 172.8 × 3 (triple shear) or could result from another arithmetic error. Triple shear is not the condition described; double shear means exactly 2 shear planes per bolt.
Memory Technique
Double shear = Double the capacity. If single shear gives you 172.8, just double it to get 345.6. The word 'double' in the problem is your mathematical instruction.
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