Asymptotics for thin elastic fibers in unilateral contact

What is the contact condition in a 1D beam-model and is it possible to obtain the frictional moments and forces from the 3D traction? If it is possible does the cross-section of the beams influence these values? These questions motivate to study the dimension reduction of a 3D contact problem for beams. This paper is a continuation of [1]. In [1] the asymptotic dimension reduction of a Robin-type elasticity boundary value problem was presented. In this work the explicit relation between a 3D contact problem and a 3D Robin-type elasticity boundary value problem are established and the 1D equations derived in [1] are interpreted as 1D contact conditions, further some numerical examples are shown. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A contact problem for an elastic plate with a thin rigid inclusion

Under study is an equilibrium problem for a plate under the influence of external forces. The plate is assumed to have a thin rigid inclusion that reaches the boundary at the zero angle and partially contacts a rigid body. On the inclusion face, there is a delamination. We consider the complete Kirchhoff–Love model, where the unknown functions are the vertical and horizontal displacements of the middle surface points of the plate. We present differential and variational formulations of the problem and prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution.     

Damageable contact between an elastic body and a rigid foundation

In this work, the contact problem between an elastic body and a rigid obstacle is studied, including the development of material damage which results from internal compression or tension. The variational problem is formulated as a first-kind variational inequality for the displacements coupled with a parabolic partial differential equation for the damage field. The existence of a unique local weak solution is stated. Then, a fully discrete scheme is introduced using the finite element method to approximate the spatial variable and an Euler scheme to discretize the time derivatives. Error estimates are derived on the approximate solutions, from which the linear convergence of the algorithm is deduced under suitable regularity conditions. Finally, three two-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the accuracy and the behaviour of the scheme.     

Elementary solution of contact problems for a transversely isotropic elastic layer bonded to a rigid foundation

The contact problem for an arbitrary punch acting on a transversely isotropic elastic layer bonded to a rigid foundation is solved by the generalized images method developed by the author earlier. The problem is reduced to that of an electrostatic problem of infinite row of coaxial charged disks in the shape of the domain of contact. The solution can be obtained by the method of iteration, collocations or any other standard procedure for solving integral equations. Exact inversion can be obtained in the case of a circular domain of contact. The mean value theorem can be used for estimation of the resultant force and tilting moment acting on a punch of arbitrary shape and circular domain of contact. A limiting case of general solution gives the solution for an isotropic layer. (Received: August 11, 2003)     

Elementary solution of contact problems for a transversely isotropic elastic layer bonded to a rigid foundation

The contact problem for an arbitrary punch acting on a transversely isotropic elastic layer bonded to a rigid foundation is solved by the generalized images method developed by the author earlier. The problem is reduced to that of an electrostatic problem of infinite row of coaxial charged disks in the shape of the domain of contact. The solution can be obtained by the method of iteration, collocations or any other standard procedure for solving integral equations. Exact inversion can be obtained in the case of a circular domain of contact. The mean value theorem can be used for estimation of the resultant force and tilting moment acting on a punch of arbitrary shape and circular domain of contact. A limiting case of general solution gives the solution for an isotropic layer.     

Unilateral contact of a plate with a thin elastic obstacle

We study the problem of contact of an elastic body with a beam. The most attention is paid to describing boundary conditions on the possible contact set. Moreover, we study asymptotic properties of solutions and the energy functional as the rigidity parameters tend to infinity or the length of the beam (or the zone of possible contact) changes.     

On bending an elastic plate with a delaminated thin rigid inclusion

Under study is the problem of bending an elastic plate with a thin rigid inclusion which may delaminate and form a crack. We find a system of boundary conditions valid on the faces of the crack and prove the existence of a solution. The problem of bending a plate with a volume rigid inclusion is also considered. We establish the convergence of solutions of this problem to a solution to the original problem as the size of the volume rigid inclusion tends to zero.     

A rigid inclusion in the contact problem for elastic plates

A family of problems under consideration describes the contact of elastic plates situated at a given angle to each other and, in the natural condition, touching along a line. The plates are subjected only to bending. The limiting process from the elastic inclusion to the rigid one is studied. It is demonstrated that the limit problems precisely describe the contact of an elastic plate with a rigid beam and the problem of the equilibrium of an elastic plate with a rigid inclusion. The solvability of the problems is established; the boundary conditions holding on the possible contact set are found as well as their precise interpretation.     

On elastic bodies with thin rigid inclusions and cracks

This paper is concerned with the analysis of equilibrium problems for two‐dimensional elastic bodies with thin rigid inclusions and cracks. Inequality‐type boundary conditions are imposed at the crack faces providing a mutual non‐penetration between the crack faces. A rigid inclusion may have a delamination, thus forming a crack with non‐penetration between the opposite faces. We analyze variational and differential problem formulations. Different geometrical situations are considered, in particular, a crack may be parallel to the inclusion as well as the crack may cross the inclusion, and also a deviation of the crack from the rigid inclusion is considered. We obtain a formula for the derivative of the energy functional with respect to the crack length for considering this derivative as a cost functional. An optimal control problem is analyzed to control the crack growth. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The conjunction problem for thin elastic and rigid inclusions in an elastic body

Under consideration is the conjunction problem for a thin elastic and a thin rigid inclusions that are in contact at one point and placed in an elastic body. Depending on what kind of conjunction conditions are set at the contact point of inclusions, we consider the two cases: the case of no fracture, where, as the conjunction conditions, we take the matching of displacements at the contact point and preservation of the angle between the inclusions, and the case with a fracture in which only the matching of displacements is assumed. At the point of conjunction, we obtain the boundary conditions for the differential formulation of the problem. On the positive face of the rigid inclusion, there is delamination. On the crack faces, some nonlinear boundary conditions of the type of inequalities are set, that prevent mutual penetration of the faces. The existence and uniqueness theorems for the solution of the equilibrium problem are proved in both cases.     

The steady-state thermoelastic problem for the elastic layer resting on a rigid foundation

Summary A solution is given, in terms of Fourier integrals, of the problem of determining the stresses in an elastic layer resting on a rigid foundation when the distribution of temperature on the free surface of the layer is prescribed. To Antonio Signorini on his 70^th birth day. The work described in this paper was done in the Department of Mathematics, Duke University, North Carolina, and was supported in part by the U. S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, A. R. D. C., under Contract AF 18 (600)-1341.     

On the contact of a rigid sphere and a thin plate

We consider the problem of the contact between a rigid sphere and a thin initially flat plate. After reviewing some plate theory, we establish that a deformation where a finite piece of the plate takes the shape of the sphere is physically unrealisable, and that the contact region must be a ring. However, for both small deflections using classical linear elastic theory and large deflections using von Kármán theory, looking at some typical parameter values we find that the radius of the ring is so small that for practical purposes it should be considered as a point load.     

Asymptotic derivation of frictionless contact models for elastic rods on a foundation with normal compliance

Using asymptotic methods we derive some models for elastic rods in frictionless contact with a foundation with normal response. Starting from the three-dimensional problem we characterize the first terms of an asymptotic expansion of the solution taking the diameter of cross section as small parameter. Then we prove the convergence as this diameter tends to zero. In this way, we obtain and we mathematically justify a simplified model generalizing the best known classical models of such frictionless contact problems.     

The contact of a solid with an elastic half-space through a thin coating

More accurate equations of the deformation of thin plates, which are more convenient for solving contact problems for bodies with coatings and containing, as a special case, the equations of all known applied theories, are derived by an asymptotic analysis of the first fundamental problem of the theory of elasticity. The equations of the deformation of thin-walled elastic bodies are classified, their qualitative correspondence to the equations of the theory of elasticity is clarified, and the forms of the features that arise along the shift lines of the boundary conditions in the corresponding contact problems are established. A criterion for selecting approximate models to describe the properties of the coatings depending on the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the coating and the substrate and also on their degree of adhesion is given.     

Numerical solution of an equilibrium problem for an elastic body with a thin delaminated rigid inclusion

Under consideration is a 2D-problem of elasticity theory for a body with a thin rigid inclusion. It is assumed that there is a delamination crack between the rigid inclusion and the elastic matrix. At the crack faces, the boundary conditions are set in the form of inequalities providing mutual nonpenetration of the crack faces. Some numerical method is proposed for solving the problem, based on domain decomposition and the Uzawa algorithm for solving variational inequalities.We give an example of numerical calculation by the finite element method.     

Axisymmetric contact of anisotropic shells of rotation with rigid and elastic foundations

A class of problems are investigated on determining the stressed-strained state of anisotropic shells of rotation that are in axisymmetric one-sided contact with rigid and elastic surfaces. The shells are under the action of surface and contour loads. For some combinations of these quantities the shell may break away from the surface. To determine the contact zone, the method of successive approximations is utilized. In contrast to most investigations in which the contact zone is first determined, the method proposed makes use of a special quantity characterizing the size of the contact zone. The load on contours is determined from the solution to the problem on the stressed state of the shell and the condition specified on the boundary of the contact zone. Some examples of solving concrete problems are given. Bibliography: 5 titles. Translated fromObchyslyuval’ na ta Prykladna Matematyka, No. 76, 1992, pp 70–74.     

Wedging of an elastic wedge by a rigid plate under conditions of contact with detaching

We consider a problem of wedging of an elastic wedge by a rigid plate along an edge crack that is located on the axis of symmetry of the wedge and reaches its vertex. The detachment of the crack faces from the surfaces of the plate is taken into account. Using the Wiener–Hopf method, we obtain an analytic solution of the problem. The size of the detachment zone, the stress intensity factor, the distribution of stresses on the line of continuation of the crack and in the contact domain, and circular displacements of the crack faces are determined.     

A simple method for spherical indentation of an elastic thin layer with surface tension bonded to a rigid substrate

An alternative method is proposed to solve the spherical indentation problem of an elastic thin layer with surface tension bonded to a rigid substrate. Based on the Kerr model, we establish a simple modified governing equation incorporating the surface tension effects for describing the relationship between the pressure and downward deflection of the impressed surface of the layer. This modified governing equation holds both inside and outside the contact zone, making it possible to analyze the whole layer by a unified differential equation. Numerical results are presented for the contact pressure inside the contact zone, the surface deflection of the elastic layer and the load-contact zone width relation to illustrate the present method. The validity and accuracy of the present method are demonstrated by comparing our results with those available in the existing literature.     

The problem of the contact between a linear elastic body and elastic and rigid bodies (a variational approach)

The problem of the contact between a linear elastic body and a rigid body is formulated as a one-sided problem. The solution is determined from the variational inequality, equivalent to the problem of minimizing the energy functional in a set of allowable displacements. The regularity of the solution is established down to internal points of the contact boundary. A measure is constructed in the subsets of the contact boundary that enables the effect of a stamp on an elastic body to be characterized. The absolute continuity of this measure is proved at the internal point. The problem of the contact of two elastic bodies is examined in a similar formulation. The regularity of the solution is established and the nature of the effect of one body on the other is clarified.