Rolling/sliding of a linear elastic body on a deformable layered substrate

Abstract

We analyze a three-dimensional frictional contact problem between a homogeneous and isotropic linear elastic body and a substrate consisting of a homogeneous and isotropic linear elastic half-space coated with a transversely isotropic elastic layer. The problem formulation includes the kinematics of the body, including its rolling/sliding on the substrate. Expressions relating the displacements of a point on the contact surface to the surface tractions acting there have been derived. We have also proposed a variational problem for the determination of surface tractions at points of the contact surface. An example problem involving the motion of a homogeneous spherical rigid ball on a substrate made of a homogeneous thin layer of a linear elastic material and bonded to a rigid base is studied. It is shown that there can be at most one adhesion zone followed by a slipping zone. Numerical results illustrating the dependence of the slip velocity upon the resultant frictional force are also presented graphically.