Numerical and experimental stiffness characterisations applied to soft textile composites for tensile structures

• Published in: Materials and structures Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 118 - 125
• Main Authors: Szostkiewicz-Chatain, C, Hamelin, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.03.1998
• Subjects: Building construction; Building materials; Civil engineering; Fabrics; Folding; Identification methods; Laminates; Mathematical models; Plate theory; Polyvinyl chlorides; Software; Stiffness; Studies; Tensile structures; Tensile tests; Textile composites; Textiles; Thin plates; Warp; Weft; Woven fabrics
• ISSN: 1359-5997; 1871-6873
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02486474

This paper presents numerical and experimental stiffness characterisation methods for soft composite textile membranes used in fabric roof structures.The studied material is a polyester plain-woven fabric coated with PVC. We present three numerical textile composite micro-structure models. They are integrated in stiffness calculation software programs which are used to identify linear elastic characteristics for a coated fabric sample. The first two models are based on the laminated thin plate theory; the fabric is represented by a stacking of unidirectionally-reinforced layers, or by the ‘Crimp Model’. The third one considers a geometrical approach to the basic cell of the fabric; the elastic characteristics are calculated by assembly of the meshing elements.In addition, an inverse and experimental stiffness identification method, based on biaxial tensile tests conducted (in orthotropic directions), is proposed. Load-controlled tests are conducted on cross-shaped samples with different loading ratios in warp and weft directions: 1/1,1/2,2/1.