The loads resisted by the bolts of a group are never equal (in the elastic range) when there are more than two bolts in a line. If the plates be deformable the plate stresses and thus the deformations, will decrease from the ends of the connection to the middle. The result is that the highest stressed elements of the top plate will be over the lowest stressed elements of the lower plate, and vice versa. The slip will be greatest at the end bolts and smallest at the middle bolts. The bolts at the ends will then have stresses much greater than those in the inside bolts.
