Keywords: composite joint, failure criterion.

As composites have become popular in recent years, the design of the composite joint has become a very important research area because the structural efficiency of the composite structure is determined by its joints, not by its basic structures. In this paper, the linear finite element analyses in which the pin of the composite joint was assumed to be the frictionless rigid body were performed and predict the failure load of the mechanically fastened composite joint by the failure area index method. The failure loads of the composite joint on the geometric shapes and dimensions were predicted by the failure area index method and compared with the experimental results. The failure area index FAI can be expressed as follows [1].

The 7-type joint models which have the different ratios of the (width to hole diameter) and (edge length to hole diameter) were manufactured and tested[10]. The carbon epoxy uni-directional prepreg and plane weave prepreg were used. The stacking sequences of the specimens were and . The "" notation implies the plane weave carbon/epoxy layer. Figure 1 shows the geometric shapes of the composite joint specimens. The suggested failure area index method is shown to produce very favorable comparisons with measured failure loads of mechanically fastened composite joints with the difference well within 10.74% for all 17 cases investigated.

1

J.H. Choi, Y.J. Chun, "Failure Load Prediction of Mechanically Fastened Composite Joint", Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 37, No. 24, pp. 2163-2177. doi:10.1177/002199803038108

2

F.K. Chang, R.A. Scott,"Failure of Composite Laminates Containing Pin Loaded Holes-Method of Solution", Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 18, pp. 255-278, 1984. doi:10.1177/002199838401800305

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