For manufacturing and maintenance reasons, the main bearing covers are each secured by four elastic holding-down

bolts, instead of the pair of jack bolts used in earlier RTA designs

To take just one aspect as an example, the column aperture has been the subject of step-by-step improvements . The aperture of the RTA84C was reviewed to reach a higher safety margin in the upgraded version of 1993. Here a more forgiving design was chosen for the transition between the girder of the crosshead guide and the transverse beam that supports the hydraulic jack bolts of the main bearing caps to allow for a wider scatter in manufacturing quality. This design solution had already been developed for the RTA84T type and the RTA-U series. The next step is, in the RTA96C, the replacement of the hydraulic jack bolts by simpler elastic holdingdown studs. They directly connect the bearing cap to the main bearing girder. This closing of the flow of forces within the column wall results in a very much simplified structure with reduced stress levels. This can improve reliability because, in that area, it often used to be difficult to achieve the required weld quality. However, great attention was given to the calculation of stresses and deformation in the main bearings with their new holding down arrangements. It is very important that the bearing deformation stays within certain limits under tie-rod pretension and engine full-load condition.

2. Previously, you might be knowing that the main bearing keeps were held down by Jacking bolts (eg. Sulzer RND ). The reason behind that was the the kind of construction of the bed plate itself. When a cylinder fires, the pressure not only forces the main journals down but there is also a component of force which pushes the cylinder head up. Now the Cylinder Head, entablature and the bed plate is tied and precompressed by the TIE RODS. Now when the firing forces come, then there is a couple formed- a) One component of force tries to push the journal down and b) the other component tries to Push the Tie Rods up. Now at the bottom, the tie rods are bolted to the bed plate so a couple thus formed will try to rock the bed plate and thus the engine. To counter attack this problem, the tie rods were kept as close to the centerline of the engine as possible and due to space restrictions, the jack bolts were used to keep the bearing top covers tight(reaction force through the entablature). Note that there was only one cover for the main bearing having two jack bolts. Now recent development has waisted studs on the main bearing cap but the are OFFSET FROM the transverse centerline of the engine. Waisted studs give more comression as they have more elasticity and resilience. As a matter of fact, from the foundation bolts to the con rod bolts, the x-head bolts etc are all waisted studs. So care has to be taken while working as the necked region should not be marked, scored or cracked as due to reversal os stresses, fatigue will cause a crack initiation and finally fracture.