Prediction of post-buckling deformation in fabric drape

Abstract

The first part of the investigation into the non-linear behaviour of fabric drape is devoted to analysis of fabric pre-buckling large deflection deformation. An accurate analytical solution of the deflection height for fabric draping is obtained, which is applied to characterize the aesthetic of fabric drape feature and to calculate the fabric drape coefficient. Post-buckling is of great interest to the general problem of fabric drape and is discussed in this part. A non-linear equation to characterize the post-buckling mode of a draped fabric with n-folds is presented, based on classical mechanics theory, incorporating the fabric anisotropic behaviour. Fabric drape configuration, namely the wavelengths and amplitudes of ring-type buckling can be predicted and explained in terms of material parameters for both isotropic and anisotropic fabrics.