搭接区端部细观结构对受拉复合材料单搭接头力学响应的影响

在复合材料单搭接头的加工过程中,在搭接区端部会形成一些细观结构,从而在这些区域常存在比较严重的应力集中。应用实验和有限元方法研究了胶瘤和复合材料端部毛刺这2 种搭接区端部细观结构对受拉复合材料层合板单搭接头力学响应的影响。应用数字图像相关方法测量了搭接区端部的应变场分布情况,同时利用基于子模型技术的非线性有限元方法分析了搭接区端部细观结构的作用。实验结果与有限元分析结果吻合较好。实验和有限元结果都表明胶瘤分担了部分载荷,可以降低搭接区端部的应力集中。复合材料端部毛刺的作用与毛刺的具体结构关系密切,不同结构的毛刺对搭接区端部应力应变分布的影响是不同的。     

Nonlinear finite element analysis of stress and strain distributions across the adhesive thickness in composite single-lap joints

A geometrically nonlinear, two-dimensional (2D) finite element analysis has been performed to determine the stress and strain distributions across the adhesive bond thickness of composite single-lap joints. The results of simulations for 0.13 and 0.26 mm bond thickness are presented. Using 2-element and 6-element mesh schemes to analyze the thinner bond layer, good agreement is found with the experimental results of Tsai and Morton. Further mesh refinement using a 10-element analysis for the thicker bond has shown that both the tensile peel and shear stresses at the bond free edges change significantly across the adhesive thickness. Both stresses became increasingly higher with distance from the centerline and peak near but not along the adherend–adhesive interface. Moreover, the maximum shear and peel stresses occur near the overlap joint corner ends, suggesting that cohesive crack initiation is most likely to occur at the corners. The dependence of stress and corresponding strain distributions on bond thickness and adhesive elastic modulus are also presented. It is observed that the peak shear and peel stresses increase with the bond thickness and elastic modulus.     

Stress analysis of single-bolt, single-lap, countersunk composite joints with variable bolt-hole clearance

Single-lap, carbon-epoxy joints with countersunk fasteners were modelled using the nonlinear finite element code Abaqus. A highly-detailed analysis of the stress distribution at the countersunk hole boundary is provided. Bolt-hole clearance, which arises due to limitations in manufacturing capabilities, is modelled extensively. Clearance levels both inside and outside typical aerospace fitting tolerances are studied and the finite element model is validated with experimental data. Plots of radial stress in each ply of the countersunk laminate show the load transfer to be severely localised, with only a few plies bearing the majority of the load. The inclusion of clearance in the model was shown to result in far higher radial stresses compared to those in the neat-fit joint model. An associated loss in joint stiffness of more than 10% was recorded for the highest clearance considered (240 μm). Finally compressive through-thickness stresses are shown to be present at the damageable region of the countersunk hole, and increase with bolt-hole clearance. These compressive stresses, which are an indicator of lateral constraint, are seen to suppress “brooming” failure in the countersunk laminate.     

On the prediction of bolted single-lap composite joints

A new set of failure criteria to predict composite failure in single-lap bolted-joints is proposed. The present failure criteria are an extension of Chang–Lessard criteria considering a three-dimensional stress field and including out-of-plane failure modes. The advantage with respect to other three-dimensional failure criteria is the consideration of non-linear shear stress–strain relationship. The failure criteria were implemented in a finite element model and validated through comparison with experiments in literature. Stresses were calculated by a non-linear finite element model developed in ABAQUS/Standard which considers material and geometric nonlinearities. A progressive damage model was implemented in a USDFLD subroutine. The model predicted the effect of secondary bending and tightening torque showing an excellent agreement with experimental results. Moreover, results were compared with those reported in literature using Hashin failure criteria. In addition, a parametric study was carried out to analyse the influence of friction coefficient and tightening torque.     

Numerical investigation on stress concentration of corrosion pit

Localized (pitting) corrosion has been observed in steel and high-strength aluminium alloys in aqueous environments and has been identified as a potential origin for fatigue crack nucleation. In the present study, under uniaxial tension loading, stress distribution at the semi-elliptical corrosion pits has been investigated by conducting a series of three-dimensional semi-elliptical pitted models, systematically. Based on the finite element analyses, it is concluded that pit aspect ratio (a/2c) is a main parameter affecting stress concentration factor (SCF). An attempt has been made to construct simple equations to SCF depending on characteristic of pit parameters. At the bottom of hemispherical pit, contribution of secondary (premature) pit formation to SCF is very pronounced.     

Stress analysis of multi-bolted joints for FRP pultruded composite structures

In the last decades, FRP composites have been widely used for constructing entire civil structures. One of the challenging issues for building with pultruded FRP composites is understanding the behaviour of bolted joints. In this paper, the results of a numerical analysis performed on different types of bolted composite joints with different geometry and subjected to tensile loads are reported. The aim of this study is to examine the distribution of shear stresses among the different bolts by varying the number of rows of bolts as well as the number of bolts per row. The study also considers the presence of variable diameter washers and their influence on the bearing stresses of composites with different fibre orientations. For verification of the validity of the analytical models, numerical results are compared to experimental results reported elsewhere. The results of this study showed that in multi-bolt joints, the load is not distributed equally due to varying bolt position, bolt-hole clearance, bolt-torque or tightening of the bolt, friction between member plates and at washer-plate interface. The results also indicated that in the presence of washers, the stress distributions in the fibre direction, varying fibre inclinations, are decreasing for each value of washer pressure.     

An analytical solution for the analysis of symmetric composite adhesively bonded joints

Analytical solutions for adhesively bonded balanced composite and metallic joints are presented in this paper. The classical laminate plate theory and adhesive interface constitutive model are employed for this deduction. Both theoretical and numerical (finite element analysis) studies of the balanced joints are conducted to reveal the adhesive peel and shear stresses. The methodology can be extended to the application of various joint configurations, such as single-lap and single-strap joints to name a few. The methodology was used to evaluate stresses in several balanced adhesively bonded metallic and composite joints subjected to the tensile, moment and transverse shear loadings. The results showed good agreements with those obtained through FEM.     

Analysis of the stress distribution of crimped pultruded composite rods subjected to traction

The stress state of crimped pultruded composite rods subjected to traction has been investigated analytically using the linear theory of elasticity of anisotropic body and the superposition principle. The theoretical solution is able to reproduce the finite element analysis results and clarify the relation between the stress state and the boundary stresses. It can be appreciated from the theoretical solution that a longitudinal compressive stress at the edge of the crimping zone is generated by the boundary shear stress induced by the flow of metal end-fitting. Thus it can be deduced that the stress concentration at the edge of crimping zone could be mitigated through appropriately increasing the extent of the flow of the metal end-fitting away from the middle of the crimping zone. Our research shows that a radial tensile stress existing at the edge of the crimping zone is corresponding to the area of the rod that axial splitting is taken place. Comparison between analytical and numerical results shows the analytical results are in good agreement with the numerical ones except for stress distribution at the edge of the loading zone. The detailed study on stress state at the edge of the crimping zone provides better understanding of the failure mechanism, the improvement possibilities on the crimping technique and the monitoring of the structural health of the composite rod.     

An experimental and numerical study on adhesive joints for composites

In many composites structures the use of joints allows not only more versatility during the assemblage process but also reduces the cost during the manufacturing. As joints are considered regions of weakness, their study has been conducted since late 1930s. Researchers have been working on new joint designs looking for better performances. One of these new designs is the bonded wavy-lap joint presented by Zeng and Sun in 2001. This paper addresses the advantages and disadvantages of the wavy-lap joint and a modified wavy-lap joint design is studied. To be able to guarantee the data consistency a statistical study is performed considering not only the sample size population but also the statistical differences between the single-lap and wavy-lap joints. Besides, the experimental tests, a finite element simulation is carried out to analyze the stress fields inside the joints. The results show an average increase on loading to failure close to 41%. This fact could be due to the compressive stress field developed inside the wavy-lap joint. In addition, this stress field distribution can also be the reason for the adherent delamination observed on the wavy-lap joints. So far, the modified wavy-lap joint seems to lead to stronger joints.     

Numerical analysis of damage progression and strength of countersunk composite joints

A numerical investigation is conducted into the damage progression and strength of bolted joints between fibre-reinforced composite laminates using countersunk fasteners. Experimental tests were previously conducted on a bearing test specimen and countersunk fastener single-lap joints. In this work, computational models are developed for Abaqus/Explicit, with continuum shells employed to model in-plane ply failure. The bolt-nut assembly is modelled with rigid elements, and the models account for bolt torque and frictional contact. The material properties required in the computational model are determined from standard tests, with the compression fracture toughness of composite plies calibrated against experimental data from the bearing test. The analysis approach captures the load-carrying capability of all configurations, and provides reasonable accuracy in predicting damage patterns. The effects of bolt torque, clearance and countersink height ratio are investigated, and the analysis results compare well with experimental findings. Furthermore, the analysis provides rich insight into the damage progression and joint behaviour at the ply level, with the in-plane and through-thickness damage patterns mapped for increasing applied load. Delamination is incorporated using a cohesive element layer at the start of the countersunk region, though has minimal influence on damage progression and load-carrying capability, which agrees with the experimental results.     

The effect of a spew fillet on adhesive stress distributions in laminated composite single-lap joints

A laminated composite single-lap joint without a spew fillet, subjected to tensile loading, is investigated experimentally and numerically. By directly comparing the experimentally- and numerically-determined deformations of the single-lap joints with and without a fillet, the effect of a spew fillet on adhesive stress distributions is discussed. Moiré interferometry is used to measure the in-plane surface deformation of the overlap region of the test specimens. The deformation interactions of the laminated adherends, adhesive layer and a fillet are documented in the form of orthogonal components of the displacement fields (u and v). Two-dimensional, geometrically linear and nonlinear finite element analyses are performed to simulate the mechanical response of the laminated composite single-lap joint and the effect of a spew fillet. Experimental and numerical results indicate that the adhesive shear and peel strain (stress) concentrations can be reduced greatly by introducing a fillet at the end of the overlap, and these concentrations are affected by the geometrically nonlinear deformation of the single-lap joint.     

Parametric study of scarf joints in composite structures

Bonded scarf or stepped repairs are used in composite structures when high strength recovery is needed or when there is a requirement for a flush surface to satisfy aerodynamic or stealth requirements. Scarf repairs are complex to design and require the removal of significant parent structure, particularly for thick skins.

A parametric finite element (FE) model has been developed to allow a broad study into the effect of various parameters on the performance of a scarf joint. The stress distribution along the bondline has been investigated, and the sensitivity of peak stresses determined with respect to changes in scarf angle, adhesive thickness, ply thickness, laminate thickness, over-laminate thickness and lay-up sequence. Furthermore, the adhesive stresses resulting from joining matched and mismatched laminates was investigated. The benefit of load by-pass of a repair was also examined using a 3D model of a circular patch. The results of this investigation provide further insight into the stresses that develop in scarf repairs of composite structures under load. This insight may lead to improved design and analysis techniques of scarf joints in composite structures.     

Implication of unequal rivet load distribution in the failures and damage tolerant design of metal and composite civil aircraft riveted lap joints

Riveted lap joints are being used widely in civil aircraft structures. Conventional design procedures assume that the joint can be designed as if all rivets carry load equally. As found in literature associated with fatigue and fracture, forensic studies on structural failures, this assumption is not entirely valid. In this paper, the regulatory codes for civil aircraft as applicable to riveted joints in the form of FAR 25 regulations are briefly reviewed. The regulatory code discusses safety factors in an implied way, but has little specific recommendations for riveted joints. However, studies on the failures of specific aircraft illustrated in this paper add to the argument that both static strength and life are affected by the initial design procedures for the riveted joints. In this paper, finite element models for metal–metal, composite–metal, composite–composite lap joints are studied. A three row lap joint used in commercial aircraft and which was part of failure studies is also examined. Unequal rivet loads and in cases, nearly 50% more than conventional design has been seen in linear finite element analysis. Elasto-plastic analysis using rivet flexibility shows re-distribution of loads. Based on these observations, the effect of rivet loads on life estimation including the use of concepts such as by-pass stresses is discussed. These results have implications for static strength at ultimate load, damage tolerance and fail safety and are discussed in this paper. Next, in a composite–composite lap joint, the influence of ply-angle on the rivet loads is studied. Also, a composite–metal lap joint is studied for the rivet load distribution and life estimation. It is found that the load shared by the rivet rows in a composite–metal lap joint are not symmetric and therefore are more susceptible to cracking and subsequent failure as the unequal distribution can cause some of the rivet loads to be high. In conclusion, the issue of fail safe and damage tolerant design of civil aircraft structures with riveted joints are addressed, especially the implication of unequal load distribution on the failures of such joints and it is suggested that these unequal rivet load distributions be catered for at the early design stage itself via finite element analysis and the possibility of an over-arching safety factor could be considered that incorporates both ultimate load and damage tolerance conditions.     

A structural stress definition and numerical implementation for fatigue analysis of welded joints

A mesh-size insensitive structural stress definition is presented in this paper. The structural stress definition is consistent with elementary structural mechanics theory and provides an effective measure of a stress state that pertains to fatigue behavior of welded joints in the form of both membrane and bending components. Numerical procedures for both solid models and shell or plate element models are presented to demonstrate the mesh-size insensitivity in extracting the structural stress parameter. Conventional finite element models can be directly used with the structural stress calculation as a post-processing procedure. To further illustrate the effectiveness of the present structural stress procedures, a collection of existing weld S-N data for various joint types were processed using the current structural stress procedures. The results strongly suggests that weld classification based S-N curves can be significantly reduced into possibly a single master S-N curve, in which the slope of the S-N curve is determined by the relative composition of the membrane and bending components of the structural stress parameter. The effects of membrane and bending on S-N behaviors can be addressed by introducing an equivalent stress intensity factor based parameter using the structural stress components. Among other things, the two major implications are: (a) structural stresses pertaining to weld fatigue behavior can be consistently calculated in a mesh-insensitive manner regardless of types of finite element models; (b) transferability of weld S-N test data, regardless of welded joint types and loading modes, can be established using the structural stress based parameters.     

Damage resistance of single lap adhesive composite joints by transverse ice impact

This paper focuses specifically on the high velocity transverse impact of composite joints by hailstones. Impact tests with ice spheres onto composite lap joint specimens were conducted to determine the failure threshold energy describing damage initiation, and to investigate the modes of damage. The damage areas imaged by ultrasonic scanning were quantitatively measured and the specimens were also sectioned and observed with optical microscopy to determine the exact location of damage. The damage area versus impact kinetic energy was found to increase dramatically for impacts beyond the failure threshold. Delamination of the composite originated at the bond overlap termination facing away from the impact side. The damage usually occurred at specific ply locations and a transition of the delamination to other ply locations was also observed. Numerical simulation of the impact was conducted and the results show that the plies where delaminations were observed to occur have the highest peel and shear stresses.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of the influence of imperfect bonding on the strength of NCF double-lap shear joints

The influence of imperfect bonding, owing to partial lack of adhesive, on the strength of composite non-crimp fabric (NCF) double-lap shear (DLS) joints was experimentally and numerically investigated. Fabrics were layered and compacted using a thermoplastic veil while infiltration of the preforms was done using the vacuum assisted process. Paste adhesive bonding was carried out by implementing the novel insertion squeeze flow process. Quality of adhesive bonding was tested using X-ray imaging and ultrasonic C-scan inspection. The tensile lap shear strength of the DLS joints was determined experimentally. Digital macrographs revealed that the specimens failed due to shear failure of the adhesive (debonding) and fracture of the composite boundary layer. As a second approach, a mesomechanical model based on the FE method and the (homogenized) progressive failure analysis method was developed. In the model, the areas without adhesion, as detected by the C-scans, were included. Numerical simulations of failure initiation and progression at the NCF joint and the adhesive indicated that it is possible to predict the strength and failure mechanisms of the imperfect bonded DLS joints.     

A parametric study on the failure of bonded single-lap joints of carbon composite and aluminum

A parametric study on adhesively bonded carbon composite-to-aluminum single-lap joints was experimentally conducted. FM73m, a high strength adhesive produced by Cytec, was used for bonding. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effects of various parameters, such as bonding pressure, overlap length, adherend thickness, and material type, on the failure load and failure mode of joints with dissimilar materials. While metal bonded joints generally fail at the adhesive, the final failure mode of all the tested bonded joints with dissimilar materials was delamination of the composite adherend. Bonding strengths of the tested joints were lower than the metal-to-metal bonded joint strength. The specimens bonded under pressure of 4 and 6 atm yielded higher failure loads than under pressure of 3 atm, which is within the range of the manufacturer-recommended bonding pressure. Failure loads of the joint increased slightly at an overlap length larger than 30 mm. Increasing adherend thickness resulted in an increase of the failure load, but was not linearly proportional to the failure load.     

Analysis of the distribution of thermal residual stresses in bonded composite repair of metallic aircraft structures

In this study, the distribution of the thermal residual stresses due to the adhesive curing in bonded composite repair is analysed using the finite element method. The computation of these stresses comprises all components of the structures: cracked plate, composite patch and adhesive layer. In addition, the influence of these residual stresses on the repair performance is highlighted by analysing their effect on the stress intensity factor at the crack tip. The obtained results show that the normal thermal stresses in the plate and the patch are important and the shear stresses are less significant. The level of the adhesive thermal stresses is relatively high. The presence of the thermal stresses increases the stress intensity factor at the crack tip, what reduce the repair performance.     

Computational and experimental investigation of delamination in L-shaped laminated composite components

Formation of initial delaminations and growth of existing delaminations in L-shaped laminates made of plies of a unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin is investigated computationally and experimentally. For this purpose an experimental test is designed which allows to realize load states for which delamination is the dominant failure mechanism. Two types of test specimens, with and without initial delaminations, are investigated and good agreement is obtained between the computational predictions and the experimental results concerning delamination emergence, delamination growth, growth stability, the structural response, and the maximum principal strains.     

3-D non-linear stress analysis on the adhesively bonded T-joints with embedded supports

In the present study, it is aimed to compare mechanical behaviors of T-joint types with embedded and non-embedded supports subjected to bending moment. For this purpose, after experimental studies on the two different T-joint types were conducted, stress analyses in the T-joints were performed with a three-dimensional finite element method by considering the geometrical non-linearity and the material non-linearities of the adhesive (DP460) and adherend (AA2024-T3). Finally, stress analyses and experimental results show that the variation of the geometry of the bonding zone, e.g., embedding the supports, would change the stress distributions and strength of the joint. Additionally, it is seen that T-joints with embedded supports carry 30% more load than T-joints with non-embedded supports although their bending stiffnesses decrease.