Damage and failure processes of hybrid joints: Adhesive bonded aluminium plates reinforced by rivets

The aim of this article was the analysis of the damage and failure behaviour of the hybrid joint consisted of: three aluminium plates (adherents), the polyurethane adhesive (two laps 40 × 40 mm) and reinforced by five rivets. The ABAQUS programme was used to simulate the tensile strength in this type of joint. The 3D numerical analysis includes modelling of: the aluminium plates, the rivets and the cohesive layers. We used mass scaling and a half of the specimen model to increase the minimum time increment in the explicit analysis. The aluminium plates and the rivets were subjected to large plastic deformations, which were described by Huber-von Mises yield model with isotropic hardening. Modelling of damage process in the adhesive layers with a finite thickness was based on their cohesive behaviour with application of cohesive elements. A displacement - based damage parameter was introduced into the constitutive equation. Experiments carried out for three kinds of joints: the simple rivet joint, the simple adhesive bonded joint and the hybrid adhesive-riveted joint were confirmed by numerical results. Both the experimental tests and the computer simulations showed that the tensile strength of the hybrid joint was higher than the adhesive bonded joint or joint with the five rivets. Addition of the rivets to the adhesive bonded joint increases the energy absorption during the failure process in comparison to the riveted or the adhesive bonded joints.