The concept of prying action can be most easily presented in terms of a T-stub loaded by a tensile force FT. The applied force is not concentric to the centre of the bolt and additional forces (Q) may be developed near the flange tip, increasing the bolt force itself. The tension induced in the bolts, from equilibrium, is thus FB= FT/2 + Q. This phenomenon is illustrated in Fig. 1. Figure 1. The development of the prying forces depends on the stiffness properties of both the