Strain distributions around fasteners in laminated plates under biaxial in-plane loading

Abstract

A finite element model is employed to investigate the effect of variations in biaxial in-plane applied loading on the strain distributions around a bolt-filled quasi-isotropic laminated plate. The theoretical model includes the effect of friction between a washer and the plate surface which is generated by a torque loaded bolt. It is this aspect of the investigation that is a novel feature of the work. Contour plots around the hole/washer region for all three in-plane strain components are presented and discussed. The results show that the strain distribution is very much affected by the biaxial loads and that the highest strains occur when biaxial tension and compression stresses of equal magnitude are applied. Washer friction is found to have a beneficial effect, and in some load cases strains are fairly evenly distributed over the hole/washer region.