Transient dynamic analysis in layered structures with unilateral interfaces

Highly nonlinear, unilateral effects on interfaces are accurately modelled within the framework of non–smooth mechanics. Unilateral contact and friction interactions are prototypes of the above–mentioned effects. Like all boundary–only nonlinearities, unilateral interfaces are most suitable candidates for the application of boundary–element techniques. Another, possibly more significant, reason for using this approach is the high accuracy of approximation for both boundary displacements and boundary tractions which is attained. Typical cases of unilateral interfaces are studied in this paper by the boundaryelement method. Among them, a unilateral contact interface which leads to LCPBEM (linear complementarity problem–boundary–element method) problems related to variational inequalities, a frictional contact interface which leads to ICP–BEM (implicit complementarity problem–boundary–element method) problems related to implicit variational inequalities, or quasi–variational inequalities and an adhesive interface which leads to CP–BEM (critical–point–boundary–element method) problems related to hemi–variational inequalities. Appropriate extensions and relevant theoretical questions are briefly discussed in a short appendix.