Abstract
The mechanical behavior of PVC-coated fabrics material for offshore membrane structures was investigated through off-axis tensile testing and orthotropic elastoplastic numerical simulation. Off-axis tensile tests were conducted at 0°, 45°, and 90° to obtain the material properties, including the strain and displacement distribution, stress–strain relationship, and tensile strengths. The orthotropic mechanical behavior was captured by Karafillis-Boyce yield criterion with the linear transformation for isotropy plasticity equivalent, allowing the application of equivalent plastic strain-based exponential hardening. The comparison between the experimental results and numerical simulations in strain distribution and stress-strain relationship shows strong agreement, confirming the accuracy of the proposed model. This framework provides a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical properties and behavior of PVC-coated fabrics, and it is expected to be effectively applied in the design and optimization.