Slip Factors of Coated Faying Surfaces in High-Strength Bolted Connections: Experimental Evaluation and Code Implications

To evaluate the slip resistance of high-strength bolted friction-type connections subjected to different corrosion-protection treatments, calibration tests were performed on six representative faying-surface conditions: sand-blasted (uncoated), epoxy zinc-rich primer, waterborne inorganic zinc-rich coating, alcohol-soluble inorganic anti-corrosion anti-slip primer, a complete multi-layer protective coating system, and cold galvanizing. Fifteen test groups comprising 45 tensile specimens were examined to determine slip factors, which were then compared with values recommended in domestic and international design standards. The results show that sand-blasted surfaces (W type) exhibit stable slip factors of μ = 0.43–0.45; alcohol-soluble inorganic primer surfaces (S type) provide the highest slip resistance with μ = 0.49–0.51, representing an increase of approximately 13%–18% compared with sand-blasted surfaces; and cold-galvanized surfaces (D type) achieve favourable performance with μ ≈ 0.44. Waterborne inorganic zinc-rich surfaces (A type) yield μ ≈ 0.33, corresponding to a reduction of about 25%, and are suitable for non-slip-critical connections. In contrast, epoxy zinc-rich primers (C type) and complete multi-layer coating systems (X type) present lower slip factors of μ = 0.26–0.28 and μ ≈ 0.23, corresponding to reductions of approximately 35%–45% and about 50%, respectively, indicating that the X-type treatment is unsuitable for slip-critical applications. The influence of bolt diameter is limited, with slip-factor variations within 5%–8% under the same surface condition, and no statistically significant effect confirmed by two-way ANOVA. These findings provide a quantitative experimental basis for the design, classification, and future standardization of friction-type bolted connections with coated faying surfaces.