FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF WRINKLING MEMBRANES

A theoretical model for wrinkling membranes is used to develop a membrane element. Instead of deriving explicit expressions for the nodal forces and the stiffness matrix, the equivalent nodal forces are obtained by numerically simulating the virtual change of the element internal energy; the stiffness matrix follows from numerical differentiation of the nodal forces. Two examples illustrate the capabilities of the element.