Stress-based upper-bound method and convex optimization: case of the Gurson material

A nonlinear interior point method associated with the kinematic theorem of limit analysis is proposed. Associating these two tools enables one to determine an upper bound of the limit loading of a Gurson material structure from the knowledge of the sole yield criterion. We present the main features of the interior point algorithm and an original method providing a rigorous kinematic bound from a stress formulation of the problem. This method is tested by solving in plane strain the problem of a Gurson infinite bar compressed between rough rigid plates. To cite this article: F. Pastor et al., C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).