Incipient sliding of rough surfaces in contact: a multiscale numerical analysis

In this paper, the Cattaneo theory of frictional contact is extended to ela stic half-spaces in contact through rough disordered interfaces. The discre te version of the Cattaneo theorem is provided, and represents the basis of a multiscale numerical contact algorithm. Mathematical surfaces with impos ed roughness, as well as experimentally digitised ones, are analysed. By me ans of a numerical method, the evolution of the contact domain, at differen t resolution, is investigated. Roughness of the interfaces provides lacunar ity of the contact domains, whose fractal dimension is always smaller than 2.0. When a tangential force is applied, the extent of the stick area decre ases in the same way as the contact area develops with increasing pressure, and the slip area is found to be proportional to the tangential force, as predicted by Cattaneo theory. The evolution of the shear centroid, as well as the amount of dissipated energy up to full-sliding, are provided. Finall y, it is shown that, at a sufficient level of discretization, the distribut ion of contact pressures is multifractal. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.