Composite laminates are widely used in aerospace industry overall for their mass-to-performance ratio. In this context, the storage of cryogenic propellant is subject to numerous studies, in which the composite must ensure a sealing function. However, the permeability is strongly related to the damage state of the laminate and heterogeneities at micro and meso scales make their damage behavior hard to predict. Among all damage mechanisms, transverse cracks and microdelamination are particularly interesting. Indeed, their coalescence through the laminate thickness is likely to generate leakage paths. Experimental observations often show that the transverse cracking bifurcates either in microdelamination at ply interfaces or in additional transverse cracks in adjacent plies. The Finite Fracture Mechanics (FFM) demonstrated its relevance in the prediction of crack propagation but it relies on a presupposed path. In this context, two scenarios, microdelamination at transverse crack tips and transverse cracking in adjacent plies are studied with FFM in order to identify the preferred mechanism regarding some material properties (limit strength, energy release rate…) and geometrical parameters (thickness, orientation…). In addition to the cracking scenario and morphology, FFM will also provide information on cracking rates with the aim of predicting the overall damage state of the laminate.
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