ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: Finite element analysis is an established tool for the industrial design of adhesively bonded structures. Physical reliable predictions of the load capacity of bonded structures are only possible if suitable constitutive models including the failure are used for the adhesive. Test data of the adhesive to be modelled show rubber-like nonlinear elastic behaviour. Failure is experimentally found to be caused by two different mechanisms, depending on the geometrical shape of the adhesive layer and the load conditions. In order to describe the measured behaviour, a hyperelastic material model is chosen and extended with a damage model to take volumetric and isochoric failure into account. Based on test data, an identification procedure for the elastic and the failure parameters is described. To validate the model, the loading of a component-like specimen is simulated and the results are compared with the corresponding test data.