Mechanical Characterization and Finite Element Modeling of the Orthotropic Behavior of Woven Fabrics

Resumo

Woven technical fabrics have been increasingly applied in structural components across the automotive, aerospace, and biomedical sectors due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, flexibility, and anisotropic mechanical behavior. Among the most commonly used textiles are polyester fabrics with plain weave architecture, which exhibit distinctly orthotropic properties due to the orientation of yarns in the warp and weft directions. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation of the mechanical response of a 100% cotton fabric with a 3x1 twill weave, focusing on its orthotropic elastic behavior. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed in the warp (0°) and weft (90°) directions according to ISO 13934-1, which specifies the strip method for determining the maximum force and elongation at break in textile fabrics. The results demonstrated clear orthotropic behavior, with differences in stiffness and strength between the two principal directions due to yarn alignment and weave pattern. The elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, and tensile strength were extracted and used as input parameters for finite element modeling in Abaqus. Numerical simulations are being developed in Abaqus to replicate the fabric’s mechanical response under tensile loading. Although the specific material model is still under evaluation, the simulations aim to represent the orthotropic behavior observed experimentally. The fabric is being modeled using membrane elements, which are suitable for thin structures that primarily sustain in-plane loads and exhibit negligible bending stiffness, characteristics typical of woven cotton fabrics and the mesh was refined based on convergence studies. The study highlights the importance of correctly capturing the directional properties of natural fiber textiles for simulation purposes. The methodology presented can serve as a basis for more advanced analyses involving multiaxial loading, forming simulations, or integration of cotton fabrics into layered composite structures. This work contributes to ongoing advances in computational modeling of fibrous materials and provides a validated approach for incorporating natural woven fabrics in solid and structural mechanics applications.