Numerical experimental analysis of hybrid double lap aluminum-CFRP joints

Due to their reliability and ease of assembly, both the adhesively bonded and the mechanical joints are commonly used in different fields of modern industrial design and manufacturing, to joint composite materials or composites with metals.As it is well known, adhesively bonded joints are characterized by high stiffness and good fatigue life, although delamination phenomena localized near the free edges may limit their use, especially for applications where corrosive environments and/or moisture can lead to premature failure of the bonding. In these cases, a possible alternative is given by the well-known mechanical joints. On the contrary, these last joints (bolted, riveted) require a preliminary drilling of the elements to be joined, that may cause localized material damage and stress concentration, especially for anisotropic laminates characterized by high stress concentration factors and easy drilling damaging, with significant decrease of the load-carrying capacity of the joined elements. In order to exploit the advantages of the bonded joints and those of the mechanical joints, both industrial manufacturing and research activity have been focused recently on the so called hybrid joints, obtained by the superposition of a mechanical joint to a simple adhesively bonded joint.In order to give a contribution to the knowledge of the mechanical behavior of hybrid bonded/riveted joints, in the present work a numerical–experimental study of bonded/riveted double-lap joints between aluminum and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates, has been carried out. It has permitted to highlight both the static and the fatigue performance of such joints obtained by using aluminum and steel rivets, as well as to known the particular damage mechanisms related also to the premature localized delamination of the CFRP laminate due to the riveting process.     

Fatigue performance characterization of a composite butt joint configuration

Fatigue performance characterization of a composite butt joint configuration was studied. The study focused on failure mode, damage evolution, and tensile stiffness degradation analyses. Effects of surface ply orientation, doubler thickness, joint attachment, and defect on the joint fatigue performance were evaluated. The bonded-bolted joints with two-row fasteners installed in each overlap section had an extremely high fatigue performance. For such a bonded-bolted joint configuration with thick doubler, a minor disbond defect improved, rather than reduced, the joint fatigue performance. This outcome was examined using the corresponding joint tensile stiffness degradation curves, and a dominant failure mechanism was identified based on damage characteristics. The study showed that the butt joint made using appropriate elements, such as a thick doubler with two-row fasteners installed in each bonded overlap section, could have very good fatigue performance regardless of the presence of a minor disbond defect.     

搭接长度和铺层方式对CFRP复合材料层合板胶接结构连接性能和损伤行为的影响

针对不同搭接长度和铺层方式的碳纤维增强树脂（CFRP）复合材料层合板单搭胶接结构进行了拉伸试验,观察了试件的受力过程和失效形态,获得了载荷-位移曲线;同时基于连续损伤力学模型和三维Hashin失效准则模拟了CFRP复合材料层合板的层内损伤形成和演化,并利用内聚力模型来模拟层间及胶层的失效损伤,对CFRP复合材料层合板单搭胶接结构在拉伸作用下的失效强度和损伤机制进行了预测,通过对比验证了该数值方法的有效性;通过数值试验比较不同搭接长度和铺层方式的单搭胶接结构及双搭胶接结构的连接强度和损伤行为,并提出了一种优化的CFRP复合材料层合板胶接结构。结果表明:CFRP复合材料层合板胶接结构的极限失效载荷随着搭接长度的增大逐渐增加并趋于稳定值,且结构的失效形式逐渐从胶层自身剪切失效过渡到邻近胶层的层合板层间分层失效;CFRP复合材料层合板胶接结构的连接强度和损伤行为随着铺层方式的不同而改变,通过对3种铺层方式的对比和分析,得到性能最好的铺层方式是[0₃/90₃]_2S;在搭接长度为5~20 mm时,通过对搭接长度进行优化,得到单搭胶接结构的最优搭接长度是17 mm,双搭胶接结构的最优搭接长度是19.3 mm,与搭接长度为20 mm相比,单搭胶接结构和双搭胶接结构的连接强度分别提高了13.26%和0.43%。      

Hybrid epoxy-silyl modified polymer adhesives for CFRP sheets bonded to a steel substrate

This paper presents an experimental study examining the interfacial behavior between a steel substrate and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets bonded with hybrid epoxy-silyl modified polymer (SMP) adhesives. The epoxy adhesive has high modulus and strength characteristics, while the SMP adhesive possesses a low modulus with permanent elastic nature. The hypothesis tested is that a combination of these two distinct materials can alleviate interfacial stresses along the bond line with maintaining adequate strength. Two types of double-lap tension tests are conducted to evaluate the bond-capacity of the epoxy and SMP adhesives and to study the effect of various hybrid bond schemes. Test results show that the specimens bonded with homogeneous epoxy demonstrate abrupt failure, whereas those with SMP exhibit gradual load-softening at failure. The load-carrying capacity and stiffness of the CFRP–steel interface are not influenced by hybrid bond configurations. The degree of CFRP-debonding is, however, affected by the hybrid bond scheme. Stress transfer from the steel substrate to the CFRP is well maintained along the hybrid bond line with significant local deformability of the interface layer. Analytical models report that shear stresses along the CFRP–steel interface are noticeably mitigated at geometric discontinuities and the proposed hybrid bond technique can be used for structure-level application.     

A procedure for the simulation of fatigue crack growth in adhesively bonded joints based on the cohesive zone model and different mixed-mode propagation criteria

This work deals with the simulation of the fatigue crack growth (FCG) in bonded joints. In particular a cohesive damage model is implemented in the commercial software Abaqus, in order to take into account for the damage produced by fatigue loading. The crack growth rate is evaluated with different Paris-like power laws expressed in terms of strain energy release rate. The crack growth rate is then translated into a variation of the damage distribution over the cohesive zone setting an equivalence between the increment of crack length and the increment of damage. The model takes also into account mixed mode I/II conditions. In this work the validity of the model is tested by comparison with theoretical trends for conditions of pure mode I, pure mode II and mixed mode loading. In the case of mixed mode conditions, different models are implemented for the crack growth rate computation. The results of the model are in very good agreement with the expected trends, therefore the model is adequate to simulate the fatigue crack growth behaviour of bonded joint.     

Ply-interleaving technique for joining hybrid carbon/glass fibre composite materials

Efficiently joining materials with dissimilar mechanical and thermal properties is fundamental to the development of strong and lightweight load-bearing hybrid structures particularly for aerospace applications. This paper presents a ply-interleaving technique for joining dissimilar composite materials. The load-carrying capacity of such a joint depends strongly on several design parameters such as the distance between ply terminations, the spatial distribution of ply terminations, and the stiffness and coefficients of thermal expansion of the composites. The effects of these factors on the strength of quasi-isotropic hybrid carbon/glass fibre composite are investigated using combined experimental, analytical and computational methods. Through fractographic analyses significant insights are gained into the failure mechanism of the hybrid joints, which are then used to aid the development of predictive models using analytical and high fidelity computational methods. To characterise the interaction between transverse matrix cracking and delamination, continuum damage mechanics model and cohesive zone model are employed. The predictions are found to correlate well with experimental data. These modelling tools pave the way for optimising hybrid joint concepts, which will enable the structural integration of dielectric windows required for multifunctional load-bearing antenna aircraft structures.     

Failure analysis of adhesively-bonded skin-to-stiffener joints: Metal–metal vs. composite–metal

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the performance of two adhesively bonded skin-to-stiffener connections: composite stiffener bonded to a Fiber Metal Laminate (FML) skin, representing a hybrid joint, and an Aluminium stiffener bonded to a FML skin, representative for a metal joint. The bonded joints were tested using Stiffener Pull-Off Tests (SPOT), which is a typical set-up used to simulate the structural behavior of full-scale components subject to out-of-plane loading, such as internal pressure of a fuselage or leading edge low pressure zone. In the hybrid joint, the damage initiates at the central noodle of the composite stiffener. Unstable delamination then propagates from the noodle to the tip of the stiffener foot, preferably through the stiffener foot plies (>90% of inter/intra-laminar failure) and, in limited areas, through the adhesive bond line (<10% of cohesive failure). In the metal joint, the failure starts at the tip of the stiffener foot at the adhesive bond line. Unstable debonding then propagates along the stiffeners foot. The complete failure occurs in the adhesive bond line (100% cohesive failure). The loads associated with >90% of inter/intra laminar failure of the composite stiffener (hybrid joint) are 40–60% lower than the ones associated with 100% cohesive failure (metal joint). This research identifies that in order to use the full capacity of adhesively bonded hybrid joints, the adhesion between carbon fibers of the composite laminate, ie intralaminar strength, must be improved. Otherwise, Aluminium stringers are still very competitive.     

Computational model for predicting nonlinear viscoelastic damage evolution in materials subjected to dynamic loading

Many inelastic solids accumulate numerous cracks before failure due to impact loading, thus rendering any exact solution of the IBVP untenable. It is therefore useful to construct computational models that can accurately predict the evolution of damage during actual impact/dynamic events in order to develop design tools for assessing performance characteristics. This paper presents a computational model for predicting the evolution of cracking in structures subjected to dynamic loading. Fracture is modeled via a nonlinear viscoelastic cohesive zone model. Two example problems are shown: one for model validation through comparison with a one-dimensional analytical solution for dynamic viscoelastic debonding, and the other demonstrates the applicability of the approach to model dynamic fracture propagation in the double cantilever beam test with a viscoelastic cohesive zone.     

Suitability of optimized truss model to predict the FRP contribution to shear resistance for externally bonded FRP strengthened RC beams without internal stirrups

Shortcoming in the current design guidelines on externally bonded FRP shear strengthened members has initiated a motivation to relook the whole shear design approach. It is understood that effective FRP strain models used in present design guidelines are basically calibrated from the experimental data based on the conservative and unrealistic 45-deg truss model. This paper is intended to propose an optimized truss model that derived from the principle of minimum total strain energy theorem to improve the present 45-deg truss model. The proposed optimized truss model is characterized with limiting failure criteria that reflects truly to the actual FRP strengthened beam behaviour. One of the most important failure criteria is the FRP debonding failure. To characterize it, limiting effective FRP strain ε_frp,e model is incorporated into the optimized truss model. Six most recent effective strain models are chosen for the analysis, included three of the international design guidelines. Performance of each effective strain model will be evaluated along with the optimized and 45-deg truss models in order to assess their respective accuracy in predicting the FRP contribution to the shear strength. The validation of optimized truss model is done through comparing with experimental test results collected from the literature. The results obtained indicated that the optimized truss model is indeed more viable representative to the actual internal stress distribution and accurate than existing 45-deg truss model. So it might have a great potential to be used in the derivation of a new effective FRP strain model that can be implemented in the current design guidelines.     

Adhesively bonded joints under cyclic loading spectra

Abstract Current designs which involve the use of composite materials in primary aircraft structures are often conservative. This, in turn, significantly lowers the weight advantage that composites have over established metallic airframe materials. Strain restrictions are often applied because the failure mechanism(s) in (fibre) composite joints and stiffener runouts where the stress state is often complex, are not fully understood. Nevertheless, from the airworthiness perspective it is essential that both the static strength and the fatigue behaviour of the components subjected to complex multiaxial stress conditions are both understood and predicted. This topic is extremely complex, and numerous criteria ranging from the purely empirical to the theoretical have been proposed. In both cases, it is necessary to know the localised stress–strain history. One common design methodology is to keep the stresses so low that fatigue will not be an issue. However, this can lead to an overly conservative design. On the other hand, while a detailed (nonlinear) finite element analysis can be performed it is often both resource‐intensive and time‐consuming. The present paper shows that Glinka's hypothesis can be used in order to calculate the localised stresses and strains for a bonded joint subjected to cyclic loading. This is a new result and has not previously been noted. It has the potential to extend the Hart‐Smith design methodology to the adhesively bonded joints in order to encompass durability considerations. This formulation also raises the possibility of enabling the degree of conservatism inherent in traditional joint design to be relaxed provided that failure occurs in the adhesive. This paper also addresses the problem of variable adhesive thickness. We show that while variable adhesive thickness can change the stress and the energy fields, the peak in the strain energy density is relatively insensitive to the stress–strain relationship for the adhesive and that Glinka's hypothesis still appears to be true. This means that, for the present class of problems, even if there is variability in the thickness of the adhesive bond the energy field and, hence, the strength of the joint can be estimated from a purely linear elastic analysis of the joint, provided that failure occurs in the adhesive.     

Measuring changing strain fields in composites with Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing using the optical backscatter reflectometer

Background/purposeMeasurements of strains in critical components are often required in addition to finite element calculations when evaluating a structure.MethodsThis paper describes how standard optical fibers, bonded to the surface or embedded in a laminate, can measure strain fields along the entire length of the fiber, using the optical backscatter reflectometer.ResultsA strain field measurement can be much better compared to simulations than the more common single point measurements with strain gauges or Bragg Gratings. Changes of the strain field can be related to damage development and can be used for structural health monitoring. Practical aspects of using the fibers are also discussed.ConclusionDistributed Fiber-Optic Sensing was successfully embedded and bonded to a composite joint. Adhesive damage was identified and the strain field agreed well with FE-Analysis.     

Inelastic fracture of adhesively bonded overlap joints

Adhesive bonding offers a simple and efficient way of joining structural components without weakening them by holes or welding.This article develops a new model to predict the fracture load of bonded overlap joints using a fracture mechanics approach. The bondline fracture resistance and effects of the nonlinear inelastic behaviour of structural adhesives are accounted for separately. For bonded single overlap joint configurations the model is expressed as simple explicit formulas.An experimental programme is presented where the design parameters that a designer can adjust to obtain the desired joint capacity are systematically varied. Comparison of test results with the predictions by current strength-of-materials capacity models highlights disparities between the theoretical predictions and experimental evidence. In contrast, the new model shows good agreement with the experimental results.It should be noted that the simple new formulas apply to a well-defined range of bonded overlap joint configurations and do not purport to apply in general to every other joint configuration.     

复合材料层合板阶梯形挖补胶接修理渐进损伤分析

建立了复合材料层合板阶梯形挖补胶接修理构型的渐进损伤分析三维有限元模型, 同时考虑了复合材料母板、 补片和胶层的损伤扩展以及它们之间的相互影响。层合板采用含正交各向异性损伤的连续介质损伤力学(CDM)本构方程进行描述, 材料积分点处的损伤状态采用二阶张量形式的内部状态变量表征。胶层采用含各向同性损伤的CDM本构方程进行描述, 材料积分点处的损伤状态采用常数形式的损伤变量表示。计算结果与试验数据符合较好, 说明该模型可较好预测挖补胶接修理的复合材料层合板拉伸强度及其失效模式。     

Analysis of adhesively bonded joints: a finite element method and a material model with damage

This paper deals with the derivation of a finite element (FE) method for an adhesively bonded joint which consists of two relatively thin bodies, joined by an even thinner adhesive layer. It is based on a model of the compound joint where the three bodies involved are described as material surfaces. A geometrically two‐dimensional model, where the middle surfaces of the upper and lower body are represented as geometrically coinciding surfaces, is obtained. An elastic–plastic material model with damage is used for the adhesive layer, and an important implication is that the (quasi‐static) propagation of the local failure zone in the adhesive layer in a structure can be simulated. Consequently, the failure load is obtained as a computational result and no failure criterion is needed. The problem is discretized, and a surface model, where only a single surface needs to be FE‐meshed, is obtained. A single‐lap joint is analysed and good agreement is obtained when compared to an analysis using a fine mesh with brick element. Furthermore, the failure load is computed and compared with experiments. The derived FE method opens up the possibility to efficiently model and analyse the mechanical behaviour of large bonded structures. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strength calculation of composite single lap joints with Fiber-Tear-Failure

The Fiber-Tear-Failure (FTF) is a common mode of failure in the adhesively bonded single lap joint having continuous fiber reinforced composite. Within single lap joints, presence of material and geometric discontinuities restrict the applicability of strength of material based approach for failure load prediction. Zone based approach appears promising in tackling discontinuity issues provided the right failure criterion and critical zone size are known. In this paper, a right failure prediction criterion is identified that can be used for the Fiber-Tear-Failure load prediction using zone based approach. Using a carbon fiber composite and an epoxy paste adhesive, failure modes were generated experimentally using different dimensions of lap joints. Several stress/strain based failure criteria for composite were tested. Critical zone size was calculated by performing the finite element analysis on a single lap joint with known failure load. For other joints, failure loads were calculated by adjusting the input loads in the analysis such that the failed zone size became the same as the critical zone size. The result reveals that Azzi–Tsai (Norris) criterion is capable of predicting failure loads of single lap joints with FTF.     

Effect of carbon nanotube modified epoxy adhesive on CFRP-to-steel interface

The effects of carbon nanotube (CNT) modified epoxy adhesive on CFRP-to-steel interfaces were investigated using double strap joints. The bond behaviours studied were failure modes, bond interface at microlevel, bond strength, effective bond length, CFRP strain distribution and bond-slip relationships.For the first time, a novel type of failure in the CFRP-steel joint was discovered, attributable to weak bonding between woven mesh and CFRP fibres. This failure mode prevented exploitation of the full potential of the carbon fibres and the CNT modified epoxy adhesive. Joints bonded with CNT-epoxy adhesive had an effective bond length of about 60 mm, whereas that of joints bonded with pure epoxy was about 70 mm. The CNT-epoxy adhesive can transfer more load from the host structure to the bonded CFRP laminates, consequently modifying bond behaviour. It is therefore expected that CNT-epoxy nanocomposites will assist in the strengthening and rehabilitation of steel infrastructures using CFRP laminates.     

Elastic analysis of hybrid bonded joints and bonded composite repairs

The authors extend the closed-form bonded joint linear elastic analysis method of Delale et al. [Delale F, Erdogan F, Aydinoglu MN. Stresses in adhesively bonded joints: a closed-form solution. J Compos Mater 1981;15:249–71] and Bigwood and Crocrombie [Bigwood DA, Crocombe AD. Elastic analysis and engineering design formulae for bonded joints. Int J Adhes Adhes 1989;9(4):229–42] to include the composite deformation mechanisms and the thermal residual strains that arise in hybrid metal-composite joints such as those presented by bonded composite repairs applied to metallic aircraft structures. The analytical predictions for the adhesive stresses and the compliance are compared to the results of a linear elastic finite element model that has itself been validated by comparison with experimental results. The results are applied to the problem of coupled linear extension and bending of a bonded composite repair applied to a cracked aluminum substrate. The resulting stress intensity factor and crack-opening displacement in the repaired plate are compared to the results of a three-dimensional finite element analysis, and also exhibit excellent results. Throughout the text, observations are made regarding the practical application of the results to failure prediction in hybrid joints, whereby the authors demonstrate the need for consistency in the analytical methods used to determine the fatigue and failure of composites from the coupon level to the analysis of the final structural details.     

基于渐进损伤分析的复合材料螺栓连接强度包线法研究

针对中国民机采用T800级复合材料这一新材料体系而基础数据匮乏的现状,采用渐进损伤分析(PDA)替代试验以显著降低研究周期和成本。综合渐进损伤方法和工程算法各自的优点,提出以渐进损伤分析替代应力集中减缓因子(SCRFs)测定试验,进而建立强度包线,并进行多钉连接强度预测的数值策略。为验证该数值策略的可行性,针对典型铺层应力集中减缓因子,测定试样,并开展渐进损伤分析,获得了试验件强度预测值来计算应力集中减缓因子,采用旁路载荷修正的强度包线法,绘制了典型铺层复合材料多钉连接旁路载荷修正强度包线,预测多钉连接的失效载荷,并与试验结果进行对比。结果表明:采用该数值策略预测的强度包线、多钉连接的失效载荷和失效模式均与试验结果吻合良好,证明了该数值策略的可行性。     

Shear induced toughening in bonded joints: experiments and analysis

Bonded joint specimens were fabricated from composite adherends and either an epoxy or a urethane adhesive. In mixed-mode fracture experiments, the epoxy bonded specimens generally failed by subinterfacial fracture in the composite, while specimens bonded with urethane failed very close to the adhesive/substrate interface. For the epoxy bonded specimens, fracture toughness did not change significantly with mode-mix, but for urethane bonded joints, fracture toughness increased with increasing shear load. Finite element analysis, which modeled specimens bonded with the two adhesives, showed similar trends. The different toughening behaviors for the two bonded joints can be attributed to dissipation of energy through inelastic deformation, which was insignificant in the epoxy-bonded joints but substantial when the urethane was used as the bonding agent.