Structural integrity assessment of a full-scale adhesively-bonded bi-material joint for maritime applications

The present study proposes a comprehensive integrity assessment approach for a full-scale adhesively-bonded bi-material joint for maritime applications. The joint represents a cross-section of the bond-line connection of a ship with a steel hull and a sandwich composite superstructure. The full-scale joint consists of a sandwich composite...

Testing mechanical performance of adhesively bonded composite joints in engineering applications: an overview

The development of new adhesives has allowed to expand the application of bonding into the most diverse industrial fields. This review article presents the commonly used experimental methods for the investigation of mechanical performance of adhesively bonded joints in the aerospace, wind energy, automotive and civil engineering sectors. In...

Effect of salt spray ageing on the fracture of composite-to-metal bonded joints

This work investigates the effect of long-term environmental exposure on the performance of composite-to-metal bonded joints. Specimens are manufactured using a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) co-bonded to a steel member with epoxy adhesive and aged in a salt spray chamber. The mixed-mode fracture behavior of the non-aged and aged...

Damage assessment of a titanium skin adhesively bonded to carbon fiber–reinforced plastic omega stringers using acoustic emission

This study is devoted to the use of acoustic emission technique for a comprehensive damage assessment, that is, damage detection, localization, and classification, of an aeronautical metal-to-composite bonded panel. The structure comprised a titanium panel adhesively bonded to carbon fiber–reinforced plastic omega stringers. The panel contained...

Deformation and damage evolution of a full-scale adhesive joint between a steel bracket and a sandwich panel for naval application

The increasing interest for the application of adhesive joints in naval superstructures motivates researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of the mechanical behaviour and failure mechanisms of these joints. This work reports on an experimental study of the deformation behaviour and damage evolution of a full-scale multi-material joint using...

Damage characterization of adhesively-bonded Bi-material joints using acoustic emission

The aim of the present study is to characterize the damage in bi-material steel-to-composite double-lap adhesively-bonded joints using Acoustic Emission (AE). Two different structural adhesives, a ductile (Methacrylate-based) and brittle (Epoxy-based), were used to bond CFRP skins to a steel core. The fabricated joints were loaded in tension...