Multiscale modeling of delamination fracture in multilayered structures

In the recent years, there has been increased interest in using multilayered structures in the construction of mechanical devices and vehicles, such as turbines, wind-blades, aircrafts or ships. These structures are often subjected to severe mechanical loads and a wide range of operational temperatures. Under such loading conditions, the stresses in multilayered structures may exceed the elastic limit, and delaminations and debonds may form and propagate as a consequence of the high interfacial tractions caused by the inhomogeneous material structure. To design layered systems and define their load-bearing capacity and life, accurate understanding of their mechanical behavior in the elastic and post-elastic regimes is needed.