High-performance composite are fabricated by hot isostatic pressing of matrix and fibers. The cooling conditions in the forming process (Resin Transfer Molding, Structural Resin Injection Molding, Laying-up) play an important part in the thermal residual stress distribution. The existence of residual stresses, combined with mechanical loads, could considerably decrease the durability of laminate structures by leading matrix cracking, fibres breaking and interface delamination initiation. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of residual stresses on the mechanical behavior of composite laminates. Incremental hole-drilling method combined with 3D FE analysis is used to performed the internal strains in laminate plates [0(2) /90(2)](s) polymerized with different cooling conditions (fast, normal and slow). The emission acoustic events system was used during static tensile tests and the signal interpretations are given by a schematic classification in order to estimated the damage initiation between interfaces. The results of this study show that the general level of the residual stresses changes appreciably with the conditions processing and prove that this new method gives a new prospect for the study of the residual stresses distribution in advanced composites parts.