Quasi-static behaviour of composite joints with protruding-head bolts

An experimental study of the quasi-static behaviour of composite bolted joints under tensile and compressive loading has been performed. The joint plates made of quasi-isotropic and 0 degrees -dominated lay-ups were fastened by two, four, or six titanium bolts. Two specimen configurations were tested: single lap and double lap. Strain gauges were applied in order to measure strain between the bolt rows and to calculate the load transfer of the bolt rows. Bolt-movement measurements were performed using extensometers to examine bolt behaviour under static loading. The obtained experimental results showed that bolted joints with four and six bolts perform better resistance to quasi-static loading than joints with two bolts. Strain distribution between two bolts is significantly affected by the bolt presence and their behaviour under loading. The load-transfer calculations showed that different bolt rows transfer slightly different amounts of load. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.