Elastic analysis of adhesion stresses for the design of a strengthening plate bonded to a beam

This paper presents methods for determining the elastic shear and peel stresses in an adhesive joint between a strengthening plate and a beam. Both closed-form and finite-difference solutions are given, allowing loading, temperature effects and plate prestrain to be considered in design. The method can be used to design strengthened beams with section properties that change along the beam (such as tapered plates), and can also be used to determine the sensitivity of an adhesive joint to bond defects. The results of some typical load cases and geometries are presented to illustrate the significance of adhesive stresses.