This work examines the role of metal z-pin on the quasi-static interlaminar fracture toughness and crack propagation behavior in composite laminates. The resistance to delamination was quantified by measuring the fracture toughness in both mode I (opening) and mode II (sliding shear) for Cu/Fe z-pin-reinforced composites. The tests proved that the bond between the Cu z-pin and the carbon fiber/epoxy resin interface is stronger than that of the Fe z-pin, and thus the interface strength of Cu z-pin specimen is higher. Through analysis of experimentally obtained R-curves, Cu z-pin specimens enhanced mode I and mode II delamination resistance compared to Fe z-pin counterparts. This improvement in mechanical performance stems primarily from the superior interfacial adhesion achieved between the Cu z-pins and the carbon fiber/epoxy matrix. Based bilinear constitutive law, a cohesive zone model (CZM) was employed to model progressive interlaminar damage with integrated R-curve into numerical simulation model to include the toughening behavior resulted by u-shaped z-pins. The accuracy of the proposed computational model was verified by favorable agreement between simulated outputs and experimental measurements.