Delamination buckling of fibre–metal laminates

A fibre–metal laminate is a composite of metal and fibre-reinforced prepreg layers. An example of such a material is Glare. It consists of alternating layers of aluminium and glass-fibre-reinforced prepreg. The material can be sensitive to delamination buckling, which occurs when a partially delaminated panel is subjected to a compressive force. The interaction of local buckling and extension of the delaminated zone typically results in a decrease of the residual strength and, eventually, in a collapse of the structure. This phenomenon can be observed in experimental tests, but numerical analyses are needed to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms and the critical parameters. In this paper, some experimental observations are discussed regarding delamination buckling in Glare and, on the basis of these observations, a numerical model is constructed at a meso-mechanical level. In this approach, solid-like shell elements are used to model the individual layers. They are connected by interface elements, which are capable of modelling delamination between the layers.