On the effectiveness of the coupling FEM-BEM approach for solving the elasto-plastic problems

In this paper an interface relaxation finite element-boundary element coupling method has been developed to analyse the non-linear elasto-plastic problems of solid mechanics. Indeed, this coupling approach preserves the nature of the finite element method (FEM) and the boundary element method (BEM) and it does not require any access to the matrices generated by FEM and BEM. Hence, it becomes easier to use different software packages without any difficulty. The successive computations of the displacements and forces or tractions on the interface of the finite element and boundary element sub-domains were performed through an iterative relaxation procedure. The coupling FEM-BEM approach was implemented in a computer code and was tested through several examples of elasto-plastic media. The obtained results are compared to the experimental data and analytical solutions to establish their accuracy. Conventional methods FEM and BEM were also exploited, and a critical comparison of the results was carried out.