Analysis of the mechanical behaviour of adhesively bonded assemblies of composites under tensile–shear out-of-plane loads

The use of composite materials is a key element in energy reduction strategies, particularly in all areas of transportation. The study of the behaviour of assemblies of composites, including bonded assemblies, is of great importance. Complex 3D loadings are needed to analyse the response of both the assemblies and the composites. However, few experimental devices allow out-of-plane loading to be studied, except by using thick composite specimens which are not always representative of industrial applications. This paper presents some possibilities of an experimental device, using a modified Arcan test, and optimized hybrid bonded assemblies, which limit the influence of edge effects. The influence of some design parameters are presented in the case of naval composites, they underline the possibilities of the proposed strategy. The failure envelope curves in the normal stress–tangential stress plane for proportional monotonic out-of-plane loadings are presented in the case of a bonded assembly for different composites.