An asymptotic analysis of delamination buckling and growth in layered plates

Delamination buckling and growth in compressively loaded elastic-layered plates is analyzed. The delamination growth process is assumed to start from an initial interlaminar adhesion defect and propagate as induced by buckling. The relevant governing equations for buckling and initial postbuckling are developed by employing asymptotic analysis results. The energy release rate concept is then applied to analyze delamination growth. Two techniques are analyzed, namely the global energy approach and the local J-integral approach. For the two cases, the effects of the asymptotic approach accuracy on the postbuckling and delamination growth are investigated. A general model of the plate is proposed, in which a global instability of the whole plate can occur together with a local instability of the layers. In addition, simplified models are examined which may be useful in many engineering applications, although based on hypotheses about the plate geometry. Finally, the numerical results show the effectiveness of the developed models. Comparisons between the general model and the thin film approximation show the convergence of the former to the latter. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.