A numerical study of adhesively bonded lap joints

Abstract The two types of joint discussed in this paper are a thick adherend symmetrical lap joint, and a symmetrical double lap joint. The effect of varying adherend and adhesive thicknesses on the stress distribution in the thin adhesive layer is discussed. These analyses were used in the design on a lap shear test to characterize certain aerospace adhesives used in bonded repair of structural components. An alternative analytical approach for the estimation of the load-carrying capacity of the double lap joint is also presented.