Impact Analysis of Composite Adhesive Joints by CZM Modelling

Cohesive zone models (CZM) have been used to determine the strength of adhesive joints and to simulate the growth of damage in structures following the definition of the cohesive laws. This work studies the different CZM conditions used to model an adhesive layer in a single-lap joint (SLJ) subjected to impact loading. In this study, four overlap lengths (LO) were considered. The evaluated modelling conditions were the decoupling of loading modes with triangular law, cohesive law shape, damage initiation criteria and damage propagation criterion. The numerical analysis allowed for a detailed understanding of how the modelling parameters employed in the cohesive models affected the outcomes.