A three-dimensional contact algorithm for sliding surfaces

This paper describes a model for sliding contact between materials. This has been embodied in a contact algorithm which has been incorporated into a three-dimensional, time-dependent, staggered mesh, finite element Lagrangian code. We first present an overview of the code and then describe the model underpinning the contact algorithm. The stages of the algorithm are then described and finally, results are presented for a number of different problems.