ABSTRACT

In this chapter, the authors examine the end product of the whole process–the bonded joint. The end product of various tests, is the basis for the analyses used throughout the industry for the analysis of structural bonded joints. To design adhesive-bonded joints, one must have some characterization of the adhesive mechanical properties. The double-strap bonded joint is probably the most desirable joint transferring loads between two members. Single-lap joints have less bond strength than double-strap bonded splices, but that does not matter for gauges so thin that the bond is stronger than the metal. The key difference between double-lap and single-lap joints is that bending moments are set up in the metal due to the single-lap load path eccentricity. Study of single-strap bonded joints indicated that increasing the overlap was a powerful technique for alleviating the effects of the eccentricity in load path, but that such joints would be much heavier than equivalent mechanical splices.