Wrinkling of thin membranes due to different in-
plane loadings and boundary conditions has drawn
attention of researchers in structural engineering
since the development of thin webs for early
aircraft structures. More recently, pre-stressed
lightweight membrane structures have been proposed
for future space missions, for example solar sails,
the next generation space telescope sunshield and
space-based radar systems. These structures are
often partially wrinkled during operation. The
formation of wrinkles alters the load paths and the
structural stiffness of the membranes. More...