Experimental and numerical study of fastener pull-through failure in GFRP laminates

An experimental and numerical study of the fastener pull-through failure mode in glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) laminates using both phenolic and vinylester resins is presented. It is shown that the type of resin does not affect the mechanical response of the joint when a pull-through test is performed because similar values of the sub-critical initial and final failure loads are obtained. Moreover, considering that the joint is considering to fail when the sub-critical failure load is reached, a methodology to predict the pull-through failure mode is proposed. It is observed that the main failure mechanism is the delamination of the plies; therefore, the prediction of the sub-critical initial failure load is performed using a three-dimensional finite element model where cohesive elements are used to simulate delamination. The predictions agree remarkably well with the experimental results.