Development of a high-efficiency modeling technique for weld-bonded steel joints in vehicle structures, Part II: Dynamic experiments and simulations

By conducting impact tests on three different types of coupon joints, it is observed that the adhesive-bond and the spot-weld in the weld-bonded joints behave and fail with little coupling, but supplement each other, which is very similar to the static test situation. The loading rate sensitivity of all three joint types is clearly demonstrated by comparing the peak loads between static and dynamic coupon tests. Incorporating the strain-rate effect of the base steel sheet into modeling of weld-bonded structures is proved to be necessary by comparison of the peak loads between tests and simulations. More effort is needed to characterize the rate dependence of the failure behavior of the epoxy adhesive.