Enhancement of a meso-scale material model for nonlinear elastic finite element computations of plain-woven fabric membrane structures

•An established meso-scale model for plane-woven fabric membrane materials is enhanced.•Material parameters are identified by the solution of an inverse problem.•Using a meso-macro transition membrane structures are computed within finite element analyses. Due to their structure of crossed yarns embedded in coating, woven fabric membranes are characterised by a highly nonlinear stress-strain behaviour. In order to determine an accurate structural response of membrane structures, a suitable description of the material behaviour is required. Typical phenomenological material models like linear-elastic orthotropic models only allow a limited determination of the real material behaviour. A more accurate approach becomes evident by focusing on the meso-scale, which reveals an inhomogeneous however periodic structure of woven fabrics. The present work focuses on an established meso-scale model. The novelty of this work is an enhancement of this model with regard to the coating stiffness. By performing an inverse process of parameter identification using a state-of-the-art Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, a close fit w.r.t. measured data from a common biaxial test is shown and compared to results applying established models. Subsequently, the enhanced meso-scale model is processed into a multi-scale model and is implemented as a material law into a finite element program. Within finite element analyses of an exemplary full scale membrane structure by using the implemented material model as well as by using established material models, the results are compared and discussed.