Failure load prediction of single lap adhesive joints based on a new linear elastic criterion

• A distance based criterion was proposed for failure load prediction in adhesive SLJs.
• Longitudinal strain along the adhesive layer was used as critical parameter.
• Some experiments were performed to validate the proposed criterion.
• Very good agreement was seen between the predictions and the experimental data.

In this study a new failure criterion has been proposed to predict the static strength of single lap adhesive joints under tensile loading. The criterion is based on a simple 2D linear elastic finite element analysis and two material and geometry parameters. According to this method, the longitudinal strain magnitude along the adhesive layer is used as a failure parameter. The criterion suggests that fracture occurs when the failure parameter along the adhesive mid-plane reaches a critical value at a critical distance. Failure loads are also determined experimentally for a series of single lap adhesive joints of different bonding lengths. It is shown that the predictions based on the proposed criterion have good agreements with the experimental data.