Modified DCB and CLS specimens for mixed-mode fatigue testing of adhesively bonded thin sheets

The fatigue behavior of adhesive joints made with commercially coil-coated thin aluminum sheets has been measured using modified double cantilever beam (DCB) and cracked lap shear (CLS) specimens that avoided yielding. The thin sheets were bonded to a stiffener using a reinforcing adhesive layer. Experimental and finite element analyses demonstrated that the reinforcing adhesive layer had an insignificant effect on the stress state at the crack...