Experimental investigation on surface deformation of soft half plane indented by rigid wedge

In this work, the mechanical behavior of a block of soft material subject to large deformation from a series of wedge-shaped indenters is evaluated. Data fields acquired from digital image correlation (DIC) are compared with the existing theoretical models. The slope angles of the wedges vary from 5° to 73.5°, and the minimum measurement uncertainties of the DIC system are established in advance to define the accuracy. It is concluded that the assumptions underpinning the analytical theory make it difficult to characterize large deformation of soft materials during contact. The strain fields are also obtained from the measured displacement field and verify the previously postulated existence of two deformation sectors, namely, a so-called shrinkage sector symmetric to the loading axis and an expansion sector, which become smaller with the increasing load and decreasing wedge angle.