Failure and reliability analysis of pinned-joint composite laminates: Effects of pin-hole clearance

This study deals with the failure and reliability analysis of cross-ply {[}0/90](2s) glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite pinned-joints. A series of ASTM tests were conducted to study the effect of pin-hole clearance (neat-fit, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mu m) on the properties of glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite pinned-joints. Failure analysis was examined using load-displacement diagrams and visual and scanning electron microscope examinations of the fractured specimens. The results showed that the first-peak and ultimate strengths were, respectively, reduced by 33.1\% and 15.3\% with increase in the pin-hole clearance. The corresponding increase in the ultimate displacement was 10.7\% and the reduction of the apparent joint stiffness 27\%. Weibull function was used to analyze the scatter in the experimental results and estimate the mean and the 50\% survival strengths. Safe design strengths at different reliability levels, characteristic strengths, and the lower bound strengths were estimated using time to first failure concept.