Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

An Analytical And Experimental Study Of Clearance And Bearing-Bypass Load Effects In Composite Bolted Joints, Rajiv Vikas Arun Naik

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A combined analytical and experimental study is conducted to determine the effects of clearance and bearing-bypass loading for mechanically fastened joints in composites. A simple method of analysis is developed to account for the nonlinear effects of bolt-hole clearance. The nonlinear load-contact variations for clearance-fit fasteners are also measured using specially instrumented fasteners. For a quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminate, results show that the contact arc as well as the peak stresses around the hole and their locations are strongly influenced by the clearance. After a slight initial nonlinearity, the peak stresses vary linearly with applied load. The typical clearance levels are …