An improved progressive failure modelling and damage tolerant design methodology for composite scarf joints with bondline flaws

There is a lack of understanding on the damage tolerant design of bonded scarf joints, specifically when an existing bondline flaw affects the performance. This paper presents an improved progressive damage modelling methodology for assessing the damage tolerant performance of composite scarf joints containing artificial flaws in the bondline. The developed methodology is validated using an experimental study investigating the influences of design parameters on the strength of scarf joints under quasi-static tensile loading. The presented work gives excellent predictions of joint strength, and significant insight into the initiation, interaction and progression of damage. A new damage tolerant design approach is subsequently proposed for the application of bonded composite scarf joints, particularly in primary aerospace structures. The proposed design approach assesses the state of the stress at the failure-critical regions of adhesive and adherend to inform on damage-tolerant safe design loads, thus improving the future application of bonded composite scarf joints.