Elastic-Plastic Contact Modeling. Part I: Algorithm Overview and Assessment of Plastic Strain Increment

Abstract

A fast algorithm for elastic-plastic contact simulation is overviewed in this paper. Betti’s reciprocal theorem is employed to assess surface normal displacement and stress state in an elastic half-space in the presence of plastic strains. Resulting equations suggest problem decomposition in an elastic and a residual part, which cannot be solved independently. While solution of the former is available from Polonsky and Keer’s algorithm for elastic contact with arbitrarily shaped geometry, the latter requires assessment of plastic zone. Plastic strain increment is derived employing a universal algorithm for integration of elastoplasticity equations. Elastic-plastic contact problem is solved iteratively based on the reciprocal adjustment between pressure and plastic strain, until convergence is reached.