Strength Prediction of Mechanically Fastened Quasi-Isotropic Carbon/Epoxy Joints

Abstract

A study on predicting the joint strength of mechanical fasteners has been performed. However bearing failure that is most important failure mode for designing joints has not been taken into consideration. So in this study, the prediction method in consideration with bearing failure was examined. Two joint geometries that exhibit net-tension failure and bearing failure were chosen. In the proposed method, the characteristic length is combined with the Yamada-Sun failure criterion, and the characteristic length for compression was determined from the "bearing failure test" that was newly conceived to take bearing failure into consideration. The proposed prediction method was applied to quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy T300/#2500 joints showing net-tension and bearing failure experimentally. Good agreement was found between the predicted and experimental results for each joint geometry.