Analysis of Mode-I crack growth arresting mechanism in curved laminated joint

Abstract

The critical damage for carbon fiber structures, which are being employed in aircraft structures, is known as delamination/crack. Fasteners are commonly installed to arrest the delamination by clamping the laminate together. Fasteners are installed in each corner of the delaminated zone to provide significant arrest capability, shifting the failure mode away from delamination under most conditions. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model is constructed to study the effectiveness of the fastener as crack arrest mechanism. The FEA results show that the fastener provides significant crack retardation capability in Mode-I condition. An analytical model is developed for the delamination embedded between the skin and stiffener interface of the joint. The fasteners are modeled with spring elements. The analysis is solved with Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) approach. The primary objective of the current research work is to enhance the safety of bonded joint by providing arrest mechanisms.