This　work　presents　the　application　of　both　uniaxial　and　bi-axial　in-plane　loads　to　unidirectional　carbon　fiber　reinforced　polymer　laminates　using　a　newly　developed　Arcan　fixture,　which　is　a　reliable　experimental　set-up　to　obtain　a　uniform　shear　stress　field　in　a　butterfly　specimen.　The　set-up　can　be　used　for　both　damage　model　validation　and　parameters　identification　at　various　fiber　orientations　while　using　the　same　specimens.　A　sequential　damage　study　was　completed　to　highlight　the　influence　of　diffused　damage　induced　in　pure　shear　on　the　fiber　direction　tensile　behavior　of　the　laminate.　This　was　accomplished　by　applying　load　on　the　specimens　in　two　steps:　(i)　the　pure　shear　step　and　then　unloading　at　approximately　70%　of　the　shear　failure　strength,　(ii)　in　the　tensile　step　until　final　failure.　A　clear　drop　in　the　tensile　behavior　of　the　laminate　was　observed　by　the　diffused　damage　induced　in　the　first　loading　step　of　pure　shear.　The　experimental　study　is　also　supplemented　with　numerical　simulations　using　a　nonlinear　elasto-plastic　coupled　damage　constitutive　law　by　employing　Puck＇s　failure　theory　for　mesodamage　activation.　In　addition　to　the　damage　pattern,　the　non-linear　mechanical　behavior　in　shear　is　predicted　and　found　in　good　correspondence　with　the　experimental　results.　©　2020　The　Author(s).　Published　by　Elsevier　B.V.　This　is　an　open　access　article　under　the　CC　BY-NC-ND　license　(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).