Advanced Structures & Composites Center

Published: 2023

Publication Name: Materials

Publication URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16216919

Abstract:

In this paper, the mechanics of inflatable drop-stitch panels are investigated, including the
impact of large shear deformations, nonlinearity due to wrinkling of the panel skin that occurs under
net compressive strain, work done by the confined internal air, and the effect of the drop-stitch yarns
on the panel skin stresses. A large deflection finite element (FE) analysis framework is presented that
allows for a panel’s stability and post-buckling response to be quantified. The FE code is verified
through comparison with available analytical solutions, and the impact of critical response drivers is
examined. The FE models are then used to explore the capacity of panel walls when used as part of
a shelter subject to realistic wind and snow loads and to assess the dependence of the capacity on
the important design parameters of inflation pressure and panel depth. The analyses indicate that
while the drop-stitch panel capacity is sensitive to the panel depth and inflation pressure, panels with
reasonable cross-sectional dimensions are viable for use in structural applications where they must
support significant compression and bending. Future work should focus on increasing the structural
efficiency and capacity by increasing the panel shear stiffness and operational inflation pressure.