Ultra-twist blind fasteners were developed for connecting tube members
where access for installation is from one side of the connection only
. They offer many advantages, including strengths and sizes comparable
to A325 bolts, potential use in tension as well as in moment-resistin
g connections, and ease of installation. Reliability-based analyses ar
e conducted to develop resistance factors for blind bolts designed acc
ording to the principles underlying specifications for steel construct
ion (CAN/CSA-S16.1-94). The limit state considered here is the direct
tensile strength. The applied loading consists of dead load, live load
, and wind. Probabilistic resistance models are developed for the ultr
a-twist fasteners based on experimental test results. The study consid
ers a wide spectrum of live-to-dead load ratios and a range of wind lo
ad intensities. The results of the reliability analysis indicate that
a resistance factor of the order of 0.55 is appropriate for applicatio
ns employing ultra-twist blind fasteners.