ANALYSIS OF WRINKLED MEMBRANE STRUCTURES BY THIN-SHELL ELEMENTS

The membrane structure is a new type of space structure, whose load-bearing members are compose of flexible membranes. When a thin-film membrane structure is subjected to external loading, wrinkles usually appear on local areas, which significantly affect the performance and reliability of membrane structures. So the study on wrinkled membrane structures is desirable and essential. The thin shell elements was adopted to simulate the wavelength, amplitude and direction of wrinkled rectangle tensioned membrane structures based on buckling theory under in-plane loading. A comparison with the corresponding experimental data proved that the method were correct and effective. The form-state model of an air-inflated membrane structure was given according to the quasi-static assumption. The simulation of cushion under the combined action of in-plane loading and normal loading was carried out to illustrate the wrinkles distribution and stress state. The results showed that the thin-shell elements can be adopted to simulate the deformation, wrinkle areas and stress distribution of tensioned membrane structures and air-inflated membrane structures under external loadings.