Experimental and Analytical Studies On the Onset of Delamination in Laminated Composites

A large number of laminates prone to delamination under uniaxial loading have been tested. The onset of delamination is determined on the basis of acoustic emission data. A two parameter failure criterion, i.e. average interlaminar normal stress failure criterion on σ=, has been used in conjunction with the stress analysis done by applying the global local model [5]. A comparison between the experimental and the predicted edge delamination threshold strengths has been made. For the class of laminates studied, the onset of edge delamination load can be accurately predicted.