Finite Element Investigation of Performance of Composite-Steel Double Lap Adhesive Joint Under Tensile Loading

Abstract Parametric study of composite-steel double lap joint under tensile loading is performed using finite element modeling. The joint is such that steel is placed between a straight and a curved composite sublaminate. Three joint characteristics including maximum Von Mises stress in adhesive layer, stiffness and weight are investigated. Design curves are provided to study the influence of geometric parameters on the joint behavior to determine the joint performance. The curves illustrate sensitivity of three mentioned joint characteristics to geometric variations. Selected parameters are a...