Experimental and numerical investigation of shear strain along an elasto-plastic bonded lap joint

This study investigates the use of an elasto-plastic adhesive in a bonded double lap joint to increase its ultimate capacity. The first section describes the experimental work we performed to characterize the materials and measure the shear strain along the joint. A comparison between an elastic adhesive and a highly plastic adhesive is made and the effect of the type of behaviour on both the capacity and the characteristic anchorage length is studied. The second section then compares the experimental results with a classical 3D finite element model. Good correlation was found between numerical expectations and experimental measurements, and the modelling allowed us to highlight typical phenomena linked to the use of an elasto-plastic adhesive. In addition, a parameter based on a microscopic measurement has been defined which allows us to describe the onset of plasticity and predict maximum capacity.