A review on the environmental degradation effects on fatigue behaviour of adhesively bonded joints

The structural applications of adhesively bonded joints on transportation industries have been increasing, and it is expected that this rising trend persists in the future. The appropriate design of these joints should address two main issues: fatigue behaviour and environmental effects. Environmental effects consist of the degradation of the bonded joints by means of harmful influence of temperature, moisture or both simultaneously. These effects can have an impact on the fatigue behaviour of bonded joints because they influence the quality of the bonding. The combination of environmental effects and fatigue lead to synergetic consequences resulting in premature and unpredictable rupture, which transforms these issues into relevant and actual research topics. The present paper describes the most recent works addressing the referred subjects. Experimental works and analytical/numerical approaches are also described aiming to give a picture of the real state‐of‐the‐art. Actual limitations and perspectives of future evolution are also discussed.