Energy release rate analysis of delamination in laminates

Delamination growth caused by local buckling of delaminated laminate under compression may lead the structure to failure. In this paper, a two-dimensional model of delaminated laminates was studied using a combination of post-buckling theory and fracture mechanics. The delaminated laminate under compression is first analysed by the first-order deformable plate thoery. Then, the energy release rateG at every point along the delamination front is derived by means of a variation problem with a moving boundary. Finally, the near-surface elliptical delamination is also discussed. There is a large variation of energy release rateG along the delamination front, the direction in which delamination growth may occur depends upon the delamination aspect ratio, the state of applied load and the orientation of plies.Supported by the Chinese Science Foundation of Aeronautics