Optimum bolted joints for hybrid composite materials

Abstract

The optimum bolted joints for hybrid composite materials composed of glass-epoxy and carbon-epoxy under tensile loading were investigated. The design parameters considered for the bolted joints were ply angle, stacking sequence, the ratio of glass-epoxy to carbon-epoxy, the outer diameters of washers and the clamping pressure. As bearing failure was desirable for bolted joints, the geometry of the bolted joint specimen was designed to undergo bearing failure only. By inspecting the fracture surfaces of the specimens it was found that delamination on the loaded periphery of the holes and extensive damage on the edge region constrained by a washer occurred. To assess the delamination of the hybrid composite materials, three-dimensional stress analysis of the bolted joint was performed using a commercial finite-element software and compared with the experimental results. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.