Analysis and design of adhesively modified double-containment corner joints part 1

Abstract

In this study, the stress and stiffness analyses of modified double-containment corner joints, in which plates are bonded at a right angle into slots of a corner support, were carried out using the finite element method. It was assumed that the adhesive and plates had linear-elastic properties. The presence of adhesive fillet at the adhesive free ends was taken into account. The corner joint was analysed for three loading conditions, two linear and one bending moment. It was found that the loading in the y direction is the most critical loading condition and that maximum stress concentrations occurred around the adhesive free ends. A detailed study of adhesive stresses showed that the peak adhesive stresses occurred at the lower free end of the left vertical adhesive layer-slot interface for the loading conditions Pyand Mbrespectively and the lower free end of the right vertical adhesive layer-slot interface for the loading condition Px. In addition, the effects of horizontal and vertical support lengths, slot depth and support thickness on the peak adhesive stresses and the overall joint stiffness were investigated. Dimensions of the corner support were given relative to the plate thickness.