Theoretical study on the bond performance of CFRP-to-steel single-lap shear tests with multiple debonding defects

The amount of research on the external bonding of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) to degraded structures has increased recently. The adhesive is the weakest element of the joint and the bonding of the adherends is critical for the efficiency of the joint. Therefore, the influence of multiple debonding defects on CFRP-to-steel joints has still not been correctly quantified nor fully understood. For this reason, the current work proposes a new numerical strategy that allows for studying the influence of multiple debonding defects when a brittle and ductile adhesive is used. A new nonlinear bond-slip relationship is used and four different ratios between the debonded and the bonded area (η) are assumed: 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%. The proposed model is based on the Finite Difference Method (FDM) and validation is carried out with a commercial Finite Element Method (FEM) package. The load-slip curves allowed for observing that the proposed FDM and the FEM are consistent and both revealed degradation of the load capacity of the joints with the increase of η. Moreover, by adopting a displacement control at the CFRP-free end, a snap-through and snap-back phenomenon are observed in the specimens with a localized debonding defect.