The behaviour of adhesively bonded beams versus their welded equivalent

The study aims to produce a design guide for the calculations of stresses and deflections of adhesively bonded beams fabricated from steel adherends using a structural epoxy adhesive. Such design calculations already exist for welded but not for bonded beams. Small models based on beams with a T-section profile, at various beam lengths, are formulated. A key to these calculations is the determination of the adhesive/adherend interface factors/coefficients, to correct the estimated values of stress and deflection from three-point bending conditions. This article presents the methodology for evaluating bonded beams in relation to equivalent welded (solid) beams. This includes mechanical testing, an analytical method based on beam and sandwich theory, and finite element techniques. Results from these techniques are presented and compared and values of the coefficients for T-section beams are determined.