Bolted lap joints of laminates with varying thickness and metallic inserts

An analysis method to determine the bolt load distribution in single- and double-lap joints is presented. The joints are made of laminates in which the bolt holes are reinforced with metallic inserts and the laminates may have variable thickness and lay-up. The solution method based on the combined complex potential and variational formulation satisfies the equilibrium equations exactly, and the boundary conditions and constraints are satisfied by minimizing the total potential. Under general loading conditions, this method is applied to multiple bolt configurations without requiring symmetry conditions while explicitly accounting for the contact phenomenon and the interaction among the bolts.