Airports
Runway Lights Fixture Joints
Infrastructure
When a bolt loses tension, WHAT ELSE IS PUT AT RISK?
A bolted connection can look intact even after losing the clamp force it needs.
Bolted connections on radio towers, airport infrastructure, hydropower structures, and shiploaders face demanding loads and environmental exposure. Undetected tension loss can put equipment, essential services, and people at risk. Difficult access makes verification more challenging.
The challenge is not simply confirming that bolts were tightened during installation. It is knowing whether the required tension remains throughout the asset’s service life.
A torqued bolt isn’t always a tight bolt.
Torque doesn’t measure tension, it measures rotational force. The friction between the bolt head, threads, and mating surfaces absorbs most of what your wrench applies before it ever becomes clamp force.
Torque Applied
The wrench reaches the specified value.
85–90% Lost to Friction
Absorbed under the bolt head, in the threads, and between mating surfaces.
10–15% Becomes Bolt Stretch
Only a fraction of applied torque translates into useful tension and actual clamp force.
Torque tells you what was applied. Tension tells you what is holding the joint together.
Applications
Critical connections across INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
SmartBolts® provide a direct visual indication of bolt tension at the fastener, making the condition of critical bolted connections easier to verify during installation and throughout service.
Download Application
Radio Towers
Structural Joints
Hydropower
Bulkhead Seal Joints
Shiploaders
Slewing Bearing Joints
Case study
Proven in infrastructure projects
See how SmartBolts® have been applied to real infrastructure challenges, helping operators address bolting issues, improve inspection confidence, and support more reliable equipment performance.
Southampton Case Study
Southampton International Airport installed 140 SmartBolts® in its runway centerline lighting system as part of its runway upgrade. This case study explores how the built-in Visual Indication System™ enables quick visual checks of bolt tension, helping maintenance teams identify loose bolts, reduce inspection time, and manage Foreign Object Debris (FOD) risks.
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Ready to ensure your critical bolted connections are properly secured?
SmartBolts® give your team a clear visual way to check critical connections before loose bolts become bigger problems.