Bridging an cohesive crack models for fracture in composite materials

The presentation reviews two modelling approaches used to model fracture in composite systems where nonlinear mechanisms arise along extended regions of the crack surfaces, the bridged- and the cohesive-crack models. Applications to composite materials and systems for civil, naval and aeronautical structures will be presented. Recent results on the problem of multiple dynamic delamination fracture in multilayered plates will be discussed focusing on the problem of energy absorption through multiple delamination.