ASME BTH-1 Pinned Connection Design Provisions

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has published a new standard for the design of below-the-hook lifting devices. This standard defines design requirements for lifting devices used in conjunction with cranes, derricks, and other types of hoisting equipment. Chapter 3 of the standard addresses the structural design requirements for lifting devices. Although most of the design provisions are based on familiar principles and practices, the provisions for the design of pinned connections are significantly different from more common specification requirements. The discussion and analyses presented in this paper demonstrate that these provisions for the design of pin-connected plates provide reliability equal to or greater than that upon which the design factors in the standard are based, thus demonstrating that these provisions are acceptable for the intended purpose of the design of below-the-hook lifting devices. Also discussed is how to address a pinned connection with a large pin-to-hole clearance.