Some consequences of the inequality conditions in contact and crack problems

Abstract

The importance of the inequalities and related side conditions that must be incorporated in contact and crack problems is emphasized and the ensuing consequences explored. An asymptotic analysis of the transitions from slip to separation, stick to slip, and stick to separation is carried out. The inequalities in contact problems make the contact pressure continuous for all levels of friction. They also make a direct transition from stick to separation impossible, unless the combination of materials is special. The inequalities in crack problems are less stringent, but they preclude certain singularities that appear to have flourished in the literature previously. © 1979 Sijthoff & Noordhoff International Publishers.