Published Paper Details:

Mechanically fastened joints are widely used in composite aerospace structures. Among various methods of joining, fastener (bolted) joints are preferred in applications, which require periodic assembly and disassembly. The mechanics of load transfer has been extensively studied earlier for the case of such joints in metallic structures. With the advent of composite structures in the recent past, there is a renewed interest in these problems from the viewpoints of both the stress analysis and the strength prediction. An understanding of the process of load transfer at connections like pin joints in composite materials are essential to achieve a level of confidence in analysis and design of composite structures. This is necessary to expand the range of application of composite materials in primary structures. In view of recent advances in the field of computers and the development of Finite Element Methods to handle complex practical problems, attempts to study the pin-plate problem of composites could be very fruitful. The present work is an effort in this direction and has achieved success in two-dimensional plane-stress analysis of pin joints with round pin in a hole in a composite plate using commercial software ANSYS (Analysis System) as a tool for finite element analysis. Both inverse and iterative approaches are employed as required in the analysis. The pin loading and uniform tension on rectangular plate were carried out for various hole eccentricity to hole diameter and plate width to hole diameter ratios. The contact stress problem at the pin-plate interface can be analyzed by iterative or inverse methods of approach. In iterative approach, the extents of contact/separation are determined iteratively for a given load level. Inverse technique determines the load level required for various extents of contact/separation. Finally the article presents the analysis of pin joints considering the effect of friction on pin plate interface. The effect of friction on load contact behavior and maximum stresses is successfully demonstrated using ANSYS software for finite element analysis.