ABSTRACT
T h e A n a ly s is o f T h in -w a lle d M e m b r a n e S t r u c tu r e s U s in g F in i te E le m e n ts
C. T. F. Ross Department o f Mechanical Engineering, Portsmouth Polytechnic, Portsmouth, UK
4.1. INTRODUCTION
Thin-walled membranes have been used for supporting loads for many centuries. Some of the earliest membrane structures were constructed in the jungles of Asia, where they appeared in the form of foot bridges, made from vines and from other undergrowth. Such struc tures resist lateral loads in tension, as vines, cables, etc., and have a negligible bending stiffness compared to their axial tensile stiffness (Fig. 4.1).
