Analysis of adhesively bonded joints with gaps subjected to bending

The two dimensional plane strain problem of adhesively bonded joints with gap defects in the adhesive is treated. A simple lap joint with a gap is considered, and the effect of bending is included in the formulation. The results show steep edge gradients for peel and shear stresses, and the peak stresses always occur at the extreme ends of the overlap, regardless of the presence of the gaps. The gap has little effect on the peak stresses, unless it is sufficiently close to an end, where an example indicates that stresses can be affected by as much as 25%.