Delamination in Cross-Ply Laminated Beams Using the Layerwise Theory

A finite element model based on the layerwise theory of Reddy is developed for the analysis of delamination in the [90/0]S cross-ply laminated beams. The Heaviside step function was adopted in the formulation to express the discontinuous interlaminar displacement fields of delaminated layers. Also, to accommodate the moderately large rotations of the beam, the von Kármán type nonlinear strain field is used in the formulation. The finite element model is verified by comparing the present solutions with those available in the literature. It is shown that the present finite element model is able to capture accurate local stress fields and the strain energy release rates. Then the model is used to study delaminated cross-ply laminates under bending loads. The influence of boundary conditions and number of layers on the strain energy release rates is studied. Also, the growth of delamination is investigated for a pure bending case, and the mode of delamination growth is identified. The influence of geometric nonlinearity on the delamination growth is also investigated as the delamination advances. It is found that geometric nonlinearity does not significantly alter the delamination kinematics and strain energy release rates.