A mechanically fastened composite laminate joint and progressive failure analysis

A comprehensive procedure for a mechanically fastened composite laminate joint (ASTM D5961 Proc. A, B) is demonstrated from fixture design to analysis of test results. The ASTM tests are applied to evaluate the standard laminate properties and the composite joints. Composite laminate mechanical joints were analyzed using the finite element method (FEM), and the results were compared to test results. A progressive failure analysis (PFA) was applied to the FEM to predict the overall failure behavior of the test specimens. Three laminate failure theories – maximum stress, maximum strain, and Tsai–Wu – were applied to the PFA to predict the test failure load, displacement and strength. The PFA method was suitable to predict the initial test range of test and maximum test load except for the excessive failure area.