Stress Analysis of Adhesive Bonded Tubular Lap Joints

Abstract The stresses in adhesive bonded tubular lap joints, subjected to axial and torsional loads, have been analysed using axisymmetric quadratic isoparametric finite elements. In the axial load case, the results are compared with a previously published closed-form solution and in the torsional case the results are compared with a closed-form solution presented here. The influences on the stress distributions of an adhesive fillet and of partial tapering of the adherends are also investigated, and an extension to the range of validity pf Goland and Reissner's second criterion is proposed.