Minimum Required Bolt Area  
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The figure shows the free body diagram for the steel plate marked 1. The load on the steel plate directed away from the splice plates is 480 kilo newtons. The shear forces on both sides of the bolt have magnitude of tau times A subscript bolt and are directed opposite to the load.

The equilibrium equation can be rewritten in terms of the allowable shear stress:

∑Fx=480 kN-(4 bolts) 2 surfacesbolt(168.75 MPa)Abolt=0

Solve this equation for the minimum required cross-sectional area of each bolt:

Abolt=(480 kN)(1,000 N/kN)(4 bolts)(2 surfaces)(168.75 N/mm2)=355.56 mm2