Experimental investigation on timber-glass double-lap adhesive joints reinforced with nylon fabric

Adhesive technology is widely used and studied in different fields. This joining method allows to join different materials, assembling lightweight and solid structures. However, joints are usually the most vulnerable part of a structural system. A method of reinforcing adhesive joints is the insertion of elements inside the adhesive layer, to improve the mechanical performance of the joint both in terms of ultimate strength and stress distribution. In this paper, the effect of nylon fabric reinforcement inside the adhesive layer of timber-glass adhesive joints, according to different positions, is studied and discussed. Two different epoxy adhesives have been used in double-lap adhesive joints between treated and untreated timber (i.e. mahogany) and float glass adherends. Shear tests carried out on both reinforced and unreinforced joints showed a generalised increase in terms of ductility of the reinforced configuration accompanied by a decrease in ultimate strength.