Experimental study on clamping effects on the tensile strength of composite plates with a bolt-filled hole

An experimental study was performed to assess the effects of clamp-up on the net-tension failure of laminated composite plates with bolt-filled holes. Graphite/epoxy prepreg of T800/3900-2 was selected for fabricating the laminates for the tests. The tensile strength and failure response of specimens with an open hole and a bolt-filled hole were evaluated. Both 100% bypass load (no bolt bearing load) and no bypass load (100% bolt bearing load) were considered during the experiments. X-radiographs were taken for specimens after pre-loading at different stress levels for the purpose of characterizing the failure modes and damage progression inside the composite.Experimental results showed that the bolt clamping force can significantly reduce the notch tensile strength of composite laminates which are prone to fiber-matrix splitting and delamination. A reduction in failure load of up to 20% was observed. Higher clamping pressure resulted in higher reductions of notch strength. However, for bolted joints which failed in a net-tension mode, clamping improved the joint strength regardless of the ply orientation.