STRESS ANALYSIS CODES FOR BONDED JOINTS IN COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

Naveen Rastogi, B. P. Deepak and Som R. Soni

ABSTRACT

Composite materials are used in variety of structural assemblies where joining of two or more components is imperative. Some of the joints are mechanical joints such as bolted and riveted connections. Others are fabricated by adhesive bonding, welding, brazing, and variety of other methods. Adhesive bonding has always been a very desirable method for joining the composite components to achieve maximum structural efficiency and improve the structural integrity. In this paper the capabilities and limitations of computer programs developed for analysis and/or design of adhesively bonded joints are discussed. A double-lap bonded joint is analyzed using some of these codes, and the distribution of stresses in adhesive and adherends along the bondline are compared. This work is conducted as part of a larger effort currently underway at AdTech Systems Research, Inc. to establish a baseline to extend the joint design methodology for generalized composite systems including life prediction, thermal effects and dissimilar materials, and present the state-of-the-art approaches taken by the aerospace industry to design joints in composite structures.