Influence of Mechanical Properties of Adhesives on Stress Distributions in Lap Joints

This paper deals with stress analysis of a single lap-jointed cantilevered beam using the three dimensional linear elastic finite element analysis (FEA) technique. Numerical examples are provided to show the influence on the stresses of the single lap-jointed cantilevered beams using adhesives of different characteristics which encompass the entire spectrum of viscoelastic behaviour. The results indicate that the stress distributions of a single-lap jointed cantilevered beam are strongly affected by both Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratios. The maximum stress ratio was used to determine maximum values of Young’s Modulus required in order that the static stresses of an adhesively bonded cantilevered beam will not be more than given value of that of the equivalent homogeneous structure, that is a geometrically similar beam but without a joint. The analysis results also show that by choosing suitable adhesives, the maximum stresses can be reduced and the strength can be improved.