Performance Investigation of Different Types of Adhesive T-Joints under Axial and Transverse Loading, in Composite Structures

One of the common types of adhesive joints is: T-joint. This type of adhesive joint has more complexity than other types, and few researches has been done on this type of adhesive joint, so that in this paper try to investigate, performances of different types of adhesive T-joints with composite adherends under axial and transverse loading conditions. For this propose, a mathematical modeling for analyzing adhesive T-joints with composite adherend is arrived. In this modeling adhesive layer is isotropic and linear elastic and modeled as continuously distributed linear tensioncompression and shear springs. Adherends are orthotropic layers that modeled as wide beams and obeyed special case of classical lamination theory. Also all of these joints are modeled with finite element modeling and solved for these loading conditions, and the results from each type of adhesive T-joint (peel and shear adhesive layer stresses in composite adhesive T-joints with the same loading conditions) are compared together. In the FEM modeling, T-joint samples are modeled 2 dimensionally (plane stress with thickness) and analyzed with Ansys software, by solid 8 node elements of plane 82. Finally the results from a sample of mathematical modeling are validated by finite element modeling results.