Domain decomposition for generalized unilateral semi-coercive contact problem with given friction in elasticity

A non-overlapping domain decomposition is applied to a multibody unilateral contact problem with given friction (Tresca's model). Approximations are proposed on the basis of the primary variational formulation (in terms of displacements) and linear finite elements. For the discretized problem we employ the concept of local Schur complements, grouping every two subdomains which share a contact area. The proposed algorithm of successive approximations can be recommended for "short" contacts only, since the contact areas are not divided by interfaces. The numerical examples show the practical efficiency of the algorithm. (c) 2004 IMACS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.