Fastener design for transversely loaded composite plates

The fastener design for the transfer of concentrated transverse (out-of-plane, pull-out) loads to random glass fiber reinforced thermoset polymers was investigated. The elastic material properties, void content, and glass content of the composite were determined and a finite element model was used to analyze and compare the performance of the various washer designs for reducing the stress and strain levels near the edge of the washer at a bolted joint. Experimental studies were conducted to verify the finite element model.