Available failure criteria for the design of laminated composite structures do not explicitly take into account the occurrence of delaminations induced by matrix cracks. However, depending on the material properties, laminate stacking sequence and ply thickness, this failure mode may appear and compromise the structural integrity of the structure. In this work, a failure criterion for predicting matrix cracking induced delamination in laminated composites is presented. The failure criterion is developed within the framework of Fracture Mechanics, by comparing the energy release rate available for delamination extension near a matrix crack and the fracture toughness of the interface. The predicted failure loads agree well with experimental data available in the literature, thus supporting the introduction of this failure criterion into the set of failure criteria usually considered in composite's structural design

This work was funded by AIRBUS under the project iComp - integrated method for the structural design of Composite components. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by AIRBUS. In addition, the support of the Spanish government through DG-CICYT under Contract DPI2012-34465 and MAT2012-37552-C03-03, is acknowledged