Modelling delamination migration in angle-ply laminates

This paper presents a numerical study of the delamination migration in angle-ply laminates observed in experiments reported in the literature, where the delamination originally propagates along the lower, 0∘/60∘ interface and later migrates onto the upper, 60∘/0∘ interface. The recently-developed Floating Node Method (FNM) is used for modelling this problem. The initiation and propagation of both delamination and matrix cracks are modelled within the FNM elements. Experimentally-observed phenomena such as the numerous kinking attempts and the multiple onset locations of migration are successfully predicted. The effect of load offset on the locations of migration is captured. In addition, this work tries to shed light on the proper use of standard cohesive elements in cases where delamination migration is expected.