3D simulations of the behaviour of elastic membranes

Biological attachment structures are usually studied using single or multiple peeling models, which involve one-dimensional tapes or contacts. This approach is oversimplified for many practical problems, since the adhesive behaviour of a large number of complex two- dimensional structures (e.g. spider web anchorages) is still poorly explained. Here, we develop a model to simulate the detachment of a membrane attached to a surface. To do so, we use a 3D numerical model based on two-dimensional contacts coupled with the substrate using a cohesive law. Our goal is to better understand the mechanical behaviour of the biological adhesives with complex geometries or material anisotropies by analysing the interaction between the stress distributions at the interface and in the membrane itself. Results show how parameters can be adjusted to optimize or tune the pull-off force for different loading scenarios.