Investigation on glass fiber reinforced aluminum laminates under pin-bearing load

Damage initiation and carrying capacity of glass fiber reinforced aluminum (GLARE) laminates under bearing load were studied. Bearing behaviors of GLARE laminates were experimentally investigated through three methods: C-scan, micro-photography and scanning electron microscope. The initiation and evolution of the damage of the laminates were studied. The effects of the lay-up on the bearing behaviors of the laminates were also discussed. The plastic deformation of the metal, the buckling of the fiber, the crack of the matrix and delamination on the hole edge during the experiments were observed and compared. The results show that the damage of those laminates initially occurred is due to the plastic deformation of metal layers. When the deformation progresses, the damage evolution, failure mode and carrying capacity are influenced by the lay-up of laminates. The results can provide a guidance for the connection structure design of GLARE laminates.