To study the stress distribution of curved composite laminate under loading, a group of specimens were quasistaticly tested by using displacement control method. The finite element model of curved laminate was constructed by commercial finite element software ABAQUS, and the numerical model was validated through comparing with the test results. By analyzing the stress distribution under different load conditions, the following conclusions can be drawn: the main failure mode of the curved laminates under loading is delmination, and the σ33 dominates the cause of the delamination; the onset of the delamination is close to the inner surface of the curved region along the radial direction, at about 29° along the circumferential direction, on the symmetric plane along the width direction; the load capacity of the curved laminate increases with the increase of its thickness; the distance between the onset location of the delamination and the inner surface of the curved laminate becomes greater with the curved laminate being thicker, but the ratio between this distance to the thickness of the curved laminate is smaller with the curved laminate being thicker; the onset location of the delaminate is closer to the loading end of the curved laminate with the curved laminate being thicker.

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