Effect of delamination on the stress distribution of pin-loaded holes in composite laminates

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of a pin-loaded hole in a [0 degrees/90 degrees](s) carbon fiber-epoxy composite laminate is developed. Contact based cohesive zone elements (CZE) inserted between the layers were used to investigate the effect of delamination on the stress distribution around the fastener hole. The radial stress distribution before delamination onset around the pin-loaded hole is verified with the widely used cosine stress distribution curve and delamination evolution is quantitatively compared with previous experimental results. It is concluded that delamination damage can significantly affect the contact stress distribution and its magnitude around the pin-loaded hole which can have an effect on strength predictions.