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Abstract: The stress distributions at the interfaces in the scarf adhesive joints under static bending moments were analyzed using two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element (FEM) calculations. The effects of the scarf angle, adhesive Young's modulus and the adhesive thickness on the interface stress distribution were examined. It was found that the singular stress at the edges of the interfaces decreased as the adhesive Young's modulus increased and the adhesive thickness decreased. The singular stress at the edges of the interfaces obtained from the 3-D was larger than that from the 2-D FEM. The joint strength was also predicted using the elasto-plastic 3-D FEM calculations. For verification of the FEM calculation results, the strains in the adherends and the joint strengths were measured. The measured results of the strains and the joint strengths were fairly consistent with the results obtained from the 3-D FEM calculations and indicated that the rupture bending moment (joint strength) was the maximum when the scarf angle was around 60°. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]