Crumpling of a stiff tethered membrane

A first-principles numerical model for crumpling of a stiff tethered membrane is introduced. This model displays wrinkles, ridge formation, ridge collapse, and initiation of stiffness divergence. The amplitude and wavelength of the wrinkles and the scaling exponent of the stiffness divergence are consistent with both theory and experiment. Close to the stiffness divergence further buckling is hindered by the nonzero thickness of the membrane, and its elastic behavior becomes similar to that of dry granular media. No change in the distribution of contact forces can be observed at the crossover, implying that the network of ridges is then simultaneously a granular force-chain network.