Analytical stiffness analysis of adhesively bonded single-lap joints subjected to out-of-plane deflection due to tensile loading

Abstract

ABSTRACT The stiffness of adhesively bonded single-lap joints is of fundamental importance in the static and dynamic sizings of engineering structures. Nevertheless, existing analytical stiffness determination models show a large discrepancy when compared to experimental results or finite element analyses. Within the present paper, a novel analytical approach for stiffness determination of single-lap joints under tensile loading is derived, which takes the out-of-plane deformation of the adherends into account. In order to provide a comprehensive model validation, single-lap joint experiments with two different adherend materials, two different adhesives and two different bondline thicknesses are conducted. Furthermore, analytical results are compared to two-dimensional finite element analyses. The presented model shows a good agreement with stiffness determination when compared to experimental and numerical results while offering a higher degree of accuracy when compared to existing stiffness determination models.