Analytical and Numerical Tools for Bonded Joint Analysis

Abstract

Application of adhesives in bonded joints is increasing. Therefore, there is a specific need for analysis and design tools that can provide physical insight and accurate results for bonded joints applications. These tools would be very useful for preliminary design purposes, which would reduce costly tests. Several analytical methods for calculations of stress distributions in adhesively bonded joints are available in literature. However, implementation and use of analytic models are usually difficult, since they are complex non-linear functions of material properties and geometry. This paper presents a Matlab® implementation of analytic solutions in a user-friendly software. Software permits calculation of stress distributions using each analytical solution individually, comparisons among different analytic solutions results and failure criteria analysis. The ABAQUS®, a commercial finite element software, was used for the numerical validation. For the experimental validation, predicted strengths were compared with test data obtained by several tests performed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Finally a failure criterion was implemented.