Computational Models of Adhesively Bonded Joints

Simulations using the Finite Element Method (FEM) play an increasingly important role in the design process of joints and fasteners in the aerospace industry. In order to utilize the potential of such adhesive bonding, there is an increasing need for effective and accurate computational methods. The geometry and the nature of an adhesive joint are, however, not so simple to describe effectively using standard FEM-codes. To overcome this difficulty, special FEMelements can be developed that provide a material surface treatment of the adhesive and the joined parts. In order to create a model that reflects the above features, one may introduce proper scalings on the geometry and on the material properties in terms of a perturbation parameter. Within the framework of three-dimensional elasticity, together with an asymptotic expansion method, a material surface model is obtained through a systematic procedure. In such a derivation, no a priori assumptions for the displacements or stress fields are needed. The final result is a variational equation posed over a single reference surface which forms the basis of a structural element for the compound joint. Through the usage of continuum damage mechanics and the framework of a generalized standard material, the linear elastic model is extended to include an elastic-plastic material model with damage for the adhesive. The model is FEdiscretized and an important implication is that the (quasi-static) propagation of the local failure zone in the adhesive layer can be simulated. The failure load is obtained as a computational result and consequently no postulated failure criterion is needed. The derived FE-method opens up the possibility to efficiently model and analyze the mechanical behavior of large bonded structures.