Properties & failure mechanisms of a 3D-reinforced joint

The remarkable growth in the use of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) in aerospace along with the incessant drive for lighter structures and fuel efficiency have brought upon new challenges in terms of efficient joining technologies. To address this issue, a novel method designated Redundant High-Efficiency Assembly [RHEA] joints is proposed as an alternative lightweight joining technique to enable the combination of efficient load transfer with damage tolerance. An overview of the current research activities involving RHEA joints, their manufacturing approach and the results of static tensile investigations and failure mechanisms are presented and discussed in this paper. Comparisons with co-bonded references without the RHEA reinforcement show improvements in ultimate load, maximum deformation and damage tolerance characteristics.