A new insert concept that interlaces metal inserts into composite laminates has earlier been shown to improve the relatively poor bearing strength of holes in fibre reinforced polymer composites, and it is here further and more thoroughly investigated. The concept was invented to increase the efficiency of joints with mechanical fasteners in composite materials and this work presents experiments on double-bolt joints with inserts made of either stainless steel or a titanium (Ti) alloy. In particular the work compares different implementations of the insert concept by reinforcing one or two holes in double bolt joints, and the effect of using different metals in the inserts. Some complementary tests on pin-loaded specimens and open hole tensile specimens are also performed and compared, partly with results that were reported previously. Considerable improvements of the bearing load capacity are attained, i.e. 50%-60% for steel and 35%-45% for Ti, compared to references. The open-hole tensile strength is also improved considerably (almost 30%) when the holes are reinforced with Ti inserts. The fact that the inserts can improve not only the bearing strength but also the performance in open-hole tension implies that the Ti inserts bring nothing but positive effects to the strength of the joints. The test results from single-shear double-bolt specimens with inserts at one hole showed improved strengths of 30% and 20% for specimens with steel and Ti inserts, respectively. Finally, an impressive strength improvement of 40-45% is achieved for single-shear double-bolt specimens having both holes reinforced with inserts of either steel or Ti.

A new insert concept that interlaces metal inserts into composite laminates has earlier been shown to improve the relatively poor bearing strength of holes in fibre reinforced polymer composites, and it is here further and more thoroughly investigated. The concept was invented to increase the efficiency of joints with mechanical fasteners in composite materials and this work presents experiments on double bolt joints with inserts made of either stainless steel or a titanium (Ti) alloy. In particular the work compares different implementations of the insert concept by reinforcing one or two holes in double bolt joints, and the effect of using different metals in the inserts. Some complementary tests on pin-loaded specimens and open hole tensile specimens are also performed and compared, also with some results reported previously.                    Considerable improvements in the bearing load capacity, i.e. 50%-60% or 35%-45%, is attained. The open-hole tensile strength is also improved considerably (almost 30%)  when the holes are reinforced with Ti inserts. The fact that the inserts can improve not only the bearing strength but also the performance in open-hole tension implies that the Ti inserts bring nothing but positive effects to the strength of the joints. The test results from single-shear double-bolt specimens with inserts at one hole showed improved strengths of 30% and 20% for specimens with steel and Ti inserts, respectively. Finally, an impressive strength improvement of 40-45% is achieved for single-shear double-bolt specimens having both holes reinforced with inserts of either steel or Ti.

An insert concept for reinforcing bolt-holes with high strength metals was previously introduced by the authors, where inserts are anchored in composite laminates through interlacement of composite plies and thin metal patches. The resulting finger-joints must be strong enough to avoid composite-metal debonding happening before bearing failure at the bolt-hole. The strength of the composite-metal interfaces is thus crucial for successful implementation of the insert concept. The paper presents an experimental study investigating the strength of various interface geometries between a prepreg composite material and stainless steel or titanium alloy inserts. In addition to the experimental work, finite element simulations are performed to analyse the stresses at the interfaces. The results indicate that the stress concentrations at multi-material corner points govern the failure and that the strength can be enhanced by expedient design.

Metal inserts are occasionally used to improve bearing load capacity of bolted joints in laminated composite materials. This paper investigates a new reinforcement concept where inserts are built by locally replacing composite plies with metal patches of various diameters, surrounding the holes. The inserts are built during composite manufacturing by alternately placing the metal patches through the thickness of the laminate at locations where holes are to be drilled after consolidation. An extensive experimental study including pin‐ loaded, open–hole tensile, and single‐shear testing of bolted specimens is presented. Considerable improve- ment of the bearing strength – 50‐60% – is attained for pin‐loaded specimens with inserts, demonstrating the potential of the reinforcement concept. The open–hole tensile tests show that the by‐pass strength can be maintained or even improved with up to 20% if the inserts are properly designed. Finally, the results from the single‐shear tests of bolted joints show more than 25% improvement in strength for reinforced single‐ and double‐bolt specimens. It is possible that the inserts would maintain clamping pressure over time, which could then almost double the imrovement (47%) for bolted joints.

Metal inserts are sometimes used to improve the load carrying capacity of bolted joints in composite materials. In this paper a new concept is introduced where inserts are built during composite manufacturing by integrating stacked metal patches at locations where holes are to be made after consolidation. Initial tests and a parameter study enable more informed design, and specimens with improved stacked inserts are then produced and tested. The specimens with inserts show up to 60% strength improvement in pin-loaded tests. In addition to the experimental work, finite element analysis is performed to investigate the stress fields and the failure mechanisms. The model indicates that the singular stresses at the multi-material corner points are governing for the strength and give indications of the failure mechanisms. Some basic analytical estimates are also presented.

One way of improving the load capacity of bolted joints in composite components is to use metal inserts locally at the holes in order to reduce the bearing stress. In this paper an innovative local reinforcement concept is introduced where metal inserts are implemented in the form of stacked patches at the holes in order to improve the bearing strength of the composite. After doing some initial tests and a parameter study, some specimens with optimized stacked patch inserts were designed and tested. The specimens with optimized inserts show 50-60% improved bearing strength in pin-loaded tests which corresponds to a potential weight reduction of about 30%. These very promising results indicates that the efficiency of joints in composites can be improved significantly.