Material and adhesive effect in adhesively-bonded composite stepped-lap joints

Adhesive bonding is a predominant bonding technique in the aeronautical and automotive industries. Cohesive zone models, used together with the finite element method, are a viable tool to predict the strength of adhesive joints. The main objective of this study is to evaluate experimentally and numerically (by cohesive zone model) the mechanical performance of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer stepped-lap bonded joints submitted to tensile loads,...