The contact problem of a rigid cylinder on an elastic layer

Summary This paper deals with the contact problem of a rigid cylinder pressed on an elastic layer connected rigidly to a rigid base. It is assumed that there is no friction between cylinder and layer and that the cylinder is long enough to ensure a plane deformation. Asymptotic solutions are presented when the ratio of the half width c of the contact area to the thickness b of the layer is small and also when c/b is large. The breakdown of the asymptotic solution for large values of c/b when the material is incompressible, discussed by Koiter [6], is overcome by considering a more general solution of the Wiener-Hopf integral equation encountered. The results of both asymptotic solutions match so well that a satisfactory solution is obtained for all values c/b and for 00.5.