Boundary element method with internal stresses for the investigation of dislocation-boundary interactions

In the theory of dislocations, most formulas and solutions are for an infin ite body. When the body containing dislocations is finite and the boundary effect is significant, the mathematical treatment becomes much more involve d and, for most cases, excludes the possibility of closed form solutions. A general numerical method, boundary element method with internal stresses ( BEMIS), is developed for investigating dislocation-boundary interactions. I n this method, the internal stresses caused by the dislocations are obtaine d from the infinite body solution, while the boundary element method is use d to satisfy the boundary conditions. With BEMIS, the shape of the dislocat ions, the geometry of the finite body, and the loading conditions may be ge neral, while the boundary may be a free surface or a bi-material interface. The accuracy and versatility of the method are examined through comparison with known closed form solutions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.