A low-dimensional model for delamination in a laterally loaded composite beam: Theory and experiment

Delamination is an important failure mechanism in certain types of composite structures. As layers of the composite become separated from one another, the composite loses some of its structural integrity and may not be capable of supporting the intended loads. Detecting this type of damage is currently a problem of interest to the structural health monitoring community. However, in order to design an appropriate detection strategy, knowledge of the underlying physics of delaminated structures is essential. Here, a low-dimensional model of a delamination in a laminated beam is developed. The model consists of only five elements yet is capable of capturing much of the behavior observed in an accompanying experiment. Both experimental and theoretical results are presented for the static response of a thin, delaminated beam.