A twofold strength and toughness criterion for the onset of free-edge shear delamination in angle-ply laminates

Free edge delamination in composite structures results from very localised stress fields which induce a stress concentration promoting the nucleation of an interfacial crack. To predict such a delamination onset at the free edge of a ( ± θ ) s laminate in traction, use is made of a strength and toughness criterion which combines a stress condition with an energy analysis. A generalised plane strain model allows to determine the stress distribution near the free edge and the energy released by the nucleation of an interfacial crack. The results show that this approach can predict the delamination onset for ( ( ± 10 ) s , ( ± 20 ) s ) laminates provided the interfacial fracture energy and interlaminar shear strength are known. These characteristic values can be identified with the help of traction tests performed on samples with different thicknesses.