Fatigue life prediction of CFRP flat-joggle-flat bonded joint

Parameter fitting was done using tests for the cohesive model, the normalized fatigue life model, the stiffness degradation model of the unidirectional laminate, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) flat-joggle-flat (FJF) bonded joint. Based on the models mentioned above, the fatigue life of the bonded joint was predicted by using ABAQUS software. Results show that under a certain maximum load, the predicted adhesive cracking life at the end of the overlap zone and the ultimate fatigue life of the bonded joint have an error value of no more than 3%, compared with the corresponding test results, which illustrates good accuracy. It is evident that the adhesive cracking life plays a major role and that the adhesive crack propagation life can be disregarded because the adhesive cracking life at the end of the overlap zone is almost equal to the ultimate fatigue life of the bonded joint.