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Abstract
Skin/stiffener composite structures suffer debonding between stiffener and skin due to loading. Application of fracture mechanics to assess structural integrity is difficult because of the complexity of structural configuration and inhomogeneity of composite materials. A simulation method to assess the structural integrity that predicts the onset and growth of debonding and estimates the stiffness degradation due to debonding is needed.In this study, a simulation method based on FEM is investigated for skin/stiffener structures. The simulation method is intended to be versatile and easy to implement for commercial FEM codes. Skin/stiffener structures are modeled as coupling of shell elements. If debonding is judged by an energy criterion, the coupling is released. Debonding growth of Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) and End Loaded Split (ELS) specimens are simulated and compared with theoretical and experimental results to demonstrate the feasibility. Debonding of skin/stiffener structures is simulated successfully by the proposed method.