Contact friction modeling with the extended finite element method (X-FEM)

In this paper, the extended finite element method (X-FEM) is developed for modeling of frictional contact problems. In order to model the frictional contact behavior within the standard finite element framework, the special functions are included in standard FE method to simulate discontinuity without considering the boundary conditions in meshing the domain. The classical finite element approximation is therefore enriched by applying additional terms to simulate the frictional behavior of contact between two bodies. These terms, which are included for enrichment of nodal displacements, depend on the contact condition between two surfaces. The partition of unity method is applied to discretize the contact area with triangular sub-elements whose Gauss points are used for integration of the domain of elements. Finally, the numerical example of sliding of two bodies is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the X-FEM in modeling of frictional contact behavior.