Experimental and numerical investigation of adhesively bonded ± 55° filament wound tubular specimens under internal pressure

This work aims to study experimentally and numerically the pressure behaviour of filament wound adhesively bonded interlocked tube under internal pressure tests. To this end, a series of hydraulic pressure tests were carried-out on E glass reinforced Vinylester 411 adhesively bonded tubes. The experimental results have revealed that a leakage was witnessed on the bonding area. Furthermore, the post-mortem X-ray tomography tests on specimens, subjected to internal pressure loading, provided a better understanding of the failure mechanisms resulting from the applied pressure. Based on these results, a finite element model was developed taking into account the nonlinearity behaviour of the adhesive layer. In fact, the aforementioned model intend a compliant prediction of the pressure behaviour of the joined tube as well as the damage propagation in the bonding zone. A perfect correlation of the experimental and the numerical outcomes has been obtained.