Failure and reliability analysis of pinned-joint composite laminates: Effects of pin–hole clearance

Abstract

This study deals with the failure and reliability analysis of cross-ply [0/90]2s glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite pinned-joints. A series of ASTM tests were conducted to study the effect of pin–hole clearance (neat-fit, 50, 100, 200, and 300 µm) on the properties of glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite pinned-joints. Failure analysis was examined using load–displacement diagrams and visual and scanning electron microscope examinations of the fractured specimens. The results showed that the first-peak and ultimate strengths were, respectively, reduced by 33.1% and 15.3% with increase in the pin–hole clearance. The corresponding increase in the ultimate displacement was 10.7% and the reduction of the apparent joint stiffness 27%. Weibull function was used to analyze the scatter in the experimental results and estimate the mean and the 50% survival strengths. Safe design strengths at different reliability levels, characteristic strengths, and the lower bound strengths were estimated using time to first failure concept.