Abstract: Based on the multilayer beam model, with a view to the heterogeneity of the material, this paper focused
on the fracture behavior of the laminated ceramic composites by the finite-element method. In three-point bending condition, the crack propagation process that
the crack penetrates the hard layers and expands along the interfaces of soft layers was presented. The primary mechanism
that the soft layers decoy the crack expanding along the weak interfaces to absorb energy was affirmed. The toughness and strength changes
as a function of the parameters such as thickness ratio, heterogeneity index m, etc. were analyzed by the FEM numerical simulation.

Key words: laminated ceramic composites, toughening, FEM, numerical simulation