| The primary objective of this research was to devise a general method for treating the effects of thin layers of sealants or adhesives on the mechanical behavior of riveted lap joints. The resulting method, which is termed “Thin Adhesive Layer Analysis” (TALA), replaces the sealant or adhesive layer with normal and shear spring elements which connect the contacting surfaces. The second objective was to validate TALA by comparing it with existing analytical solutions. The third objective was to validate it by comparing predictions with measurements of the distortions of loaded lap joints fastened with a sealant. The last objective was to demonstrate that TALA can be used to model the effects of sealants or adhesives on aircraft riveted lap joints. The TALA results are in excellent agreement with existing analytical solutions and measurements. The analyses reveal that the thin sealant layer introduces large increases in the in-plane and out-of-plane displacement, reduces bending and the stress concentration factor (SCF), and also increases the fatigue life of riveted lap joints. |
