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A combined experimental and analytical study has been conducted to investigate the effects of simultaneous bearing and bypass loading on graphite/epoxy (T300/5208) laminate. Tests were conducted with a test machine that allows the bearing-bypass load ratio to be controlled while a single-fastener coupon is loaded to failure in either tension or compression. Test coupons consisted of 16-ply quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminates with a centrally-located 6.35-mm bolt having a clearance fit. Onset-damage and ultimate strengths were determined for each test case. Next, a finite element stress analysis was conducted for each test case. The computed local stresses were used with appropriate failure criteria to analyze the observed failure modes and strengths. An unexpected interaction of the effect of the bypass and bearing loads was found for the onset of compression-reacted bearing damage. This interaction was caused by a decrease in the bolt-hole contact arc and a corresponding increase in the severity of the bearing loads. The amount of bolt-hole contact had a significant effect on local stresses and, thus, on the calculated damage-onset and ultimate strengths. An offset-compression failure mode was identified for laminate failure under compression bearing-bypass loading. This failure mode appears to be unique to compression bearing-bypass loading and, therefore, cannot be predicted from simple tests. (SDW), This article is from 'Behaviour and Analysis of Mechanically Fastened Joints in Composite Structures', AD-A199 171, p13-1 - 13-13.

A combined experimental and analytical study was conducted to determine the behavior of a graphite/epoxy laminate subjected to combined bearing and bypass loading. Single-fastener quasi-isotropic specimens were loaded at various hearing-bypass ratios until damage was produced at the fastener hole. Damage-onset strengths and damage modes were then analyzed using local hole-boundary stresses calculated by a finite-element analysis. The tension data showed the expected linear interaction for combined bearing and bypass loading with damage developing in the net-section tension mode. However, the compression bearing-bypass strengths showed an unexpected interaction involving the bearing mode. Compressive bypass loads reduced the bearing strength by decreasing the bolt-hole contact arc and thus increasing the severity of the bearing loads. The bearing stresses at the hole boundary were not accurately estimated by superposition of the stress components for separate bearing and bypass loading. However, superposition produced reasonably accurate estimates for tangential stresses especially near the specimen net-section. (MM)