Cross Bolting - Drilling/Bolting tab

Used to set drilling and bolting pattern and bolting slots for Cross Bolting.



for Paired mode:
  • The pattern will be set according to the members forming a pair and will be repeated on each pair.
  • The numbers of bolts entered in the longitudinal direction will be doubled.
for Member mode:
  • For the rectangular pattern, the transversal and longitudinal orientations of the pattern are set according to any of the valid members of the selection that the user chooses.
  • When the member according to which the pattern is set is a shape, the longitudinal direction is according to the shapes z orientation and the transversal direction is according the other orientation of the drilling surface.
  • When the member according to which the pattern is set is a polyplate, the longitudinal direction is according to the polyplates x direction and the transversal direction is according to the polyplates y direction.

In all cases, if the normal vectors of the drilled surfaces are not parallel to each other, you can select according to which member the drilling will be perpendicular to. If they are all parallel, that option will be hidden.

Setting Description
Arrange Type Set the layout type for the hole fields;
  • Rectangular ? enables settings for rectangular type layout.
  • Polar ? enables settings for radial type layout.

The drilling pattern will be applied according to the members forming the pairs and it will not be possible to have the pattern according to the supporting member. The entered pattern will be repeated on every pair.

Drill Type Sets one of the four drilling cases, that determines which flange to other flange the shape be drilled and bolted.
All the shapes in the below Figure are hollow and the support members are indicated in blue and located between the connecting members.
Figure 1. Hollow support in center


  • Case 1 ? The bolts go from the top flange of the supporting member to the bottom flange of the top connecting member and from the bottom flange of the supporting member to the top flange of the bottom connecting member.
  • Case 2 ? The bolts go from the top flange of the supporting member to the top flange of the top connecting member and from the bottom flange of the supporting member to the bottom flange of the bottom connecting member.
  • Case 3 ? The bolts go from the bottom flange of the top connecting member to the top flange of the bottom connecting member.
  • Case 4 ? The bolts go from the top flange of the top connecting member to the bottom flange of the bottom connecting member.
The below are a few examples of different scenarios of all variations of the above Figure. Some cases could give the same result.
Figure 2. Hollow support at extremity


Figure 3. Flat bar support in center


Figure 4. Hollow support and W Beam connecting
Longitudinal Spacing Enabled for Rectangular type layout pattern.
  • Number ? Sets the number of bolts to be placed on the longitudinal direction. It's the X orientation for the polyplate member, and Z orientation for shape member according to which the pattern is set.
  • First Distance ? Sets the distance from the starting edge to the center of the first bolt.
  • Subsequent Distance ? Sets the subsequent distance between longitudinal bolts.
Transverse Spacing Enabled for Rectangular type layout pattern.
  • Number ? Sets the number of bolts to be placed on the transversal direction. It's the Y orientation for the polyplate member, and the other direction for shape member according to which the pattern is set.
  • First Distance ? Sets the distance from the starting edge to the center of the first bolt.
  • Subsequent Distance ? Sets the subsequent distance between transversal bolts.

Examples: If the number of bolts in a direction is even, the user enters a first distance between the bolts (1) and a subsequent distance between the bolts (2). If there are only two bolts in a direction, the subsequent distance (2) is ignored. See Figure 1 and Figure 2.

Polar (radial) Enabled for Polar type layout pattern.
  • Count ? Sets the number of holes in the radial hole field.
  • Radius ? Sets the radius of the radial pattern.
  • Starting Angle ? Defines the starting angle of the distribution of the radial hole field in relation to the insert axis.
  • Included Angle ? Indicates the angle for which the radial holes will be distributed, ranges between 0? and 360?.
Bolts
  • Bolt Type ? Sets the bolt style from the drop-down list.
  • Diameter ? Sets the hole diameter of the selected bolt from the drop-down list of bolt diameter table.
  • Workloose ? Sets the clearance between bolt and hole diameter.
  • Additional Length ? Sets an additional length to the bolts extension outside the nut.
  • Slot Length ? Sets the slotted hole distance along longitudinal direction.
  • Slots On ? Indicates the member or pair on which slots will be applied.
  • Turn ? When checked, the bolt direction is inverted. Available when not welded.

Stagger - Click to increment the stagger bolts stages (0-4). Applicable to pair mode selection.

Staggered Bolting

When using a rectangular drilling pattern only, it is possible to have staggered bolts. There are 4 cases of staggered bolting. Bolts can be staggered in the longitudinal direction of the supporting shapes. Staggered bolts are also supported for polyplates. The bolts will be staggered in the X direction of the polyplate.


  • The top 2 images have their odd numbered rows of bolts staggered and the bottom 2 images have their even numbered rows of bolts staggered.
  • In the 2 images to the left, the bolts are staggered to the right and in the 2 images to the right the bolts are staggered to the left.

The bolts are staggered by half the first distance between the bolts if there are only 2 or 3 bolts in the longitudinal direction for member mode or 1 bolt in the longitudinal direction for paired mode. If there are more than 3 bolts in the longitudinal direction for member mode or more than 1 bolt for paired mode (the number of bolts is repeated on the other side), they are staggered by half the subsequent distance between bolts.

Pattern with respect to Indicates the member according to which the pattern is applied. In case of paired mode, the pattern is according to the members forming the pair. Use the > icon to travel through valid pattern members in the list.
Pattern perpendicular to Indicates the member according to whose surface the drilling is perpendicular to. In case of paired mode, the pair to whoich a member belongs is indicated. Use the > icon to travel through valid perpendicular to members in the list.
Rotation Angle Sets the axial rotation of the bolt.

You can decide which member will have slots applied to it. The orientation of the slots can only turn by 90?. When in paired mode, if a shape forming a pair has slots applied to it, the other shape will also have slots applied to it. Slot orientation and alignment is according to the member defining the drilling/bolting pattern.

+90? turns the slots by 90? counterclockwise, and -90? turns it by 90? clockwise.
In Slots on and Pattern perpendicular to dropdown lists, the pairing number is indicated next to the connecting members.


Bolting Cases examples:

If for an even number of bolts a direction, if you enter a first distance between the bolts (say, 1 unit) and a subsequent distance between the bolts (say, 2 units). If there are only two bolts in a direction, the subsequent distance (2) is ignored.

Figure 5. A: Longitudinal Count: 2 Transversal Count: 1 | B: Longitudinal Count: 4 Transversal Count: 1


If the number of bolts in a direction is odd and greater than one, the two bolts at each side of the center bolt are at first distance (1) of the center bolt and the remaining bolts, if any, are at subsequent distance (2) of each other.
Figure 6. A: Longitudinal Count: 3 Transversal Count: 1 | B: Longitudinal Count: 5 Transversal Count: 1


In paired mode, the number of bolts in the longitudinal direction is doubled. In the following figures the green shapes are the pair, so the longitudinal direction is according to the Z orientation of the pair.
Figure 7. A: Longitudinal Count: 2 Transversal Count: 2 | B: Longitudinal Count: 1 Transversal Count: 1


Hollow shape bolting

For Hollow shape bolting the inner edges setting is ignored.

Hollow shape drilling when ignore inner edges in the global settings is enabled. This is same as ProSteel native behavior, hence treating hollow shapes as solid volumes where the hole object spans the complete thickness.
Figure 8. W beam as support and Hollow HSS as connecting members with ignore inner edges activated


If all shapes have a single hole passing through their section, all four cases will result in the following figure.
Figure 9. All shapes are HSS with a single hole passing through both their flanges


This is exactly what would happen if all shapes were polyplates as only one hole can pass through the thickness of a polyplate.