Boundary element analysis of 3-D elasto-plastic contact problems with friction

In this paper, a boundary element method for three-dimensional elasto-plastic stress analysis of frictional contact problems in the framework of small strains and small displacements is presented. The contact conditions are used to unite the different system of equations for each body in contact. Several types of contact interface conditions are covered including infinite friction, frictionless and Coulomb friction. In order to include plastic deformation, the initial strain formulation and von Mises yield criterion are employed. The proposed algorithm is applied to the elasto-plastic analysis of the frictionless rigid punch, a large plate with a rigid, circular, cylindrical inclusion under the increasing load and the ceramic femoral head frictional contact problem. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.